I'm excited, got my first cardio rehabilitation face to face this Thursday.
I did a measily 1.5 mile road walk today, half of which was uphill and boy did I feel all tense when going up the gradient bit.
I felt a mild pain on both sides of my neck, nothing major but in all my years of excercise I've never had this. It all disappeared once I got to the top and breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn't had a HA it went.
I've put it down to anxiety as my shoulders felt really tense afterwards.
Do we all go through this mental hurdle which almost manifests as something alarming.
Hopefully the cardio rehab will ease my mind, I know it will based on all the posts I've read here about it.
sorry for the random post, but this community has become a self awareness, sharing, comforting place for me to just say it as it is, when it happens and hopefully get relaxed and learn.
I wouldn’t say 1½ miles is “measly”. It’s a good start. Something that I found especially useful at the rehab is the assessment they do at the first session. Taking into account your personal situation - health, age and medications - they calculate your maximum heart rate target when you’re exercising. Listen out for this.
Your last session is another assessment to measure your progress. This is also very useful because thereafter it’s largely up to you to keep fit and healthy. Good luck with it.
it sounds like you are doing really well.
After my heart attack I used the British Heart Foundation website for all sorts of information seeking.
I then tried to start their seated programme of exercise and was mortified when I could t do it. Seated!
But now 3 months on I can swim lots and exercise to a good level.
It’s patience. Something I’m not good at. But also listening to your body. I get twinges around my heart I never had before. No idea why but I know it must mean slow down at that point.
What are you rehabbing from ? I had quadruple CABG on 25th July following Nstemi . Walking was the bedrock of my initial rehab and recovery . Early weeks I had some good and bad days but I think it was the dose of bisoprolol that made me feel rough and spaced out like a zombie. I added 5 mins or .5km onto my walks and topped it at 5km, then tried walking a bit quicker . Then I attended NHS level 3 rehab profit 6 weeks which was totally underwhelming and way too easy . I did it anyway and now follow instructions from a cardiac rehab coach specialist in resistance training , he’s got me back to lifting weights and running , ran 5 km twice last week . The mental aspects were not really a problem for me . The surgeons I was fit and strong prior to heart attack , they could tell by the muscles they had to cut through on my chest and the very healthy , tough sternum 🤢.. I trained a lot with weights , yoga and physical work around my farm.
The thing is , there were a mixed bunch in my rehab class . We all had a cardiac event if some kind but some events were vastly different. I was told that my heart had t suffered any damage , I had new pipes installed and I should make a full recovery after that major surgery. Others were not as fit/active as me , their hearts were damaged and recovering , some found the exercises very challenging. I’d say if you are walking over a mile with an incline you’ll be fine in the rehab class.depending on your mobility , if you have any issues from a surgery for instance . You’ll be in safe hands and it will boost your confidence with the feedback from the cardiac physios. Keep us posted 👍❤️
Remember to warm up before any exercise. Gentle stretches for about 10 minutes on the muscles you intend to use. This will help you with your rehab. Well done on your 1.5m walk ! That’s a good start.
Lots of people I have seen moaning about how cardiac rehab doesn't actually push you, I don’t see that that’s the off it they, I think they are there to build your confidence back up as like you most of us are very anxious about that exercising will bring in another attack. It certainly gave me the confidence to know that I could push myself.
The cardiac rehab is great. You will be carefully monitored and advised what to do and what not to do, so you will safely regain fitness. Do NOT overdo it. Good luck
I had a Stemi HA Oct’22 and had circumflex stent and then attended cardio for 8 weeks that really was helpful as you’re with many others having gone through similar.I am only now relaxing more after suffering anxiety for months after that resulted in mild chest pain on many a day.I bought an Oximeter that checks my HR as and when I want reassurance that I keep within the cardio guidelines when excercising mine being 83-103.You will get many benefits from cardio rehab and good luck.
Great news. Yes be aware of the twinges but try not to build them up to worrying. Think about it, you would expect some twinge of effort and tension somewhere on first outing. It's a tick not a negative. I started walking and run now but even now I have to drop my arms and give them a little shake, relax as the upper body tension increases.Keep a diary of how you feel or download a free app like Strava to record your walks and day number them. If you have a smartwatch your data can be tracked across to your walk.
Don't look for instant improvements but say in 5 weeks just repeat that first walk exactly and map how you feel.
Strava keeps a log of all your walks and will give you a monthly total. It's great to look back and see how the bite size chunks of exercise build up to real miles! Some weeks I usey shoes more than the car!
Reward yourself, modern trainers provide great assistance, you don't have to spend a fortune either. A nice beanie hat or great thin gloves.
Finally I can't finish without my biggest, and possibly boring(!) Shout out. Parkwalk and Parkrun every Saturday at 9.00 am. Free and there will be other people like you. Have it as an aim for when you have finished your initial training. Go along and take a look, maybe offer to volunteer, they always need helpers.
Hi Rehab is great and they monitor you and tell you not exceed a a certain max heart rate this gives you much more confidence Its 8 months since my heart and I still don't like going uphill I think irs because I blacked out twice on little gradients and even though I know I am going no where near my heart rate limit I still get nervous .Your walk sounds like a good start to getting your fitness back The final assessment at the end of your rehab really brings it home what you have achieved
For me.... Stemi Feb 2022, 7 stents into 2 arteries, 5 months off work, permanent damage to the heart...rehab was a brilliant thing.
It achieves many things, but two really stand out...yes there is the fitness, who cares if the exercises may be a bit easy, especially if you were reasonably fir before your event! Confidence, that you can still exercise, confidence you can begin to push a bit, when you feel able, confidence you can compete a a person (metaphorically) and confidence in making your own way, own decisions once you know , hey I CAN do this and it's a safe place, after all the alternative is not too enticing...is it?
I still attend a follow on class every week, I attend Parkrun most Saturdays, way past the fitness level I need for the follow on class, but now I can encourage others, who are just as I was...worried every twinge was the HA happening again, nervous to do try sometimes.
All I can say is , try it, listen to your body, it'll tell you if that's a bit too much, medication is vital, it'll allow the heart to do what it needs to, rest, yet keep you alive and be exercised , all at the same time, bit crazy really!!
Good luck on your journey
I want to thank you all for your replies, it's so comforting and ultimately uplifting and positive to read your journies through this.
The mind is the worst bit but it gets better don’t worry, even if you are left with a bit of something, I get a little bit of pain in my left shoulder and jaw with the odd chest pain. You learn how to deal with it as time goes on.
I hope you rehab is as good as mine, it was an action heart gym and the exercise was excellent but what really helped was talking to everyone else, we all felt the same mentally. It was a massive help to realise your not going made it’s totally normal to feel how you are and we all need help in more ways then ever. It’s not weak or embarrassing to ask for help. This forum is also a fantastic place to chat and start to feel normal again, so any questions just ask away.
Good luck with your recovery.
Well it went really well.
1)Filled out lots of questions around activities done post HA
2) Mental well being questions
3) The nurse did BMI, fat %, waist ratio tests which were all well within the limits of risk
4) I did a test if stepping up and down a platform overtime at slow then to a faster pace and the nurse measured how my heart rate and blood pressure reacted pre exercises and post.
This was repeated a few times.
5) We had a good chat and it was decided that I go straight to the cardio rehab resistance and weight training classes for 8 weeks after which the nurse said you can carry on doing what you did pre HA.
She said my results were fantastic and probably due to my fitness routine pre HA and the only thing to be mindful of is not exceededing a heart rate limit, being mindful of warm ups and cold downs, and listening to my body.
I walked out feeling absolutely on top of the world.
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Cardio Rehab
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