After 8 weeks and a few tests yesterday my NHS cardio rehabilitation sessions are now over.It's been absolutely fantastic for the mind and soul. I've lost an additional 0.5% in body fat , which I was surprised with as over the last 3 months my excericse went from 4-5 days a week to 2 ( purely rehab sessions).
I will put that down to additional dietary changes, subtle as I didn't eat rubbish anyway.
Luckily it's has all the facilities you find in a normal gym with the bonus of cardio nurses and cardio PT's and you are allowed to become a paying member once discharged from the NHS and so I signed up , a no brainer.
I've said it before and I will say it again, when offered cardio rehabilitation, just do it, yes excericse especially if you haven't done any before can be uncomfortable but the rewards outweigh that a million times.
As the Nike adverts say 'just do it'.
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baly_2023
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Totally agree, well worth doing cardio rehab. I’m currently doing cardiac rehab for a second time. First time was after I had an aortic valve replacement and, after the initial free course on the NHS, I carried on for about three years only giving up due to starting my own business. I’m now enjoying it as much as ever and really feeling the benefits, so hopefully I’ll being doing it for years to come.
I’ve been through rehab twice once after my heart attack and then a year later after surgery. Remember being so worried the first time I went, never been one for anything gym related. But I loved it, in fact I loved it so much I joined the heart rehab classes at my local gym, they offered exercise with support, laughter and fun. By going for the year between heart attack and surgery I was heart healthy when surgery happened and they believe it’s partly why I recovered so well and quite quickly, I even now still do rehab and I’m back in the main gym with everyone else with a program set just for me.
Heart rehab is so important, if offered please take the offer up, yes the first few visits you might feel a bit out of place, but it can be fun and offers support at a time when you most need it. 6 months post surgery I’m walking around 2-4km a day with the dog, one full gym session a week and one rehab class,
The funny bit is I'm 53 which I consider old in a workplace of under 30's.
I now get young man by the vast majority of the gents and ladies at the cardio gym, it always makes me chuckle.
We do have to flip a coin for the music that's being played, my 90's, 2000's pumped up gym dance music vs thier assortment of songs from the 60's. I end up losing, but it's such a good atmosphere and we have such a good chat.
that’s good to hear. 22 years ago when my husband had it the “lectures” were great but the gym work was poorly conducted and only useful for someone who had not exercised for some years. Good to hear it’s improved.
Glad your experience was like mine. I too have just finished my 8 week rehab stint, it was absolutely fantastic. The rehab people were fantastic and put me on the right path. Prior to my op I was a typical lazy middle aged bloke just getting though life but now I am health focused and loving every minute and walking every day, I can't get enough. I too have signed up for the cardiac classes at my local gym and look forward to starting. For someone like me I think the key was to make big changes gradually so they stuck, I gave up the fags from day one and haven't missed it at all, lost a few stone and totally changed my eating habits although I still enjoy a treat now and again. It has been incredibly hard but worth every minute especially when you see the results, the key is to take it one day at a time and realise I can't change overnight. I just want to stop the booze, I'm not a drinker and only have a tipple at the weekend but I am finding I am using it as a replacement to "escape" and I don't want to slip into that, I know I will do it but just need that extra bit of a push to get to where I want to be. It's truly amazing that for the first time in decades I wake up craving to go and exercise and I feel so much better for it, absolutely life changing.
I don't drink much, 3 beers a week, which to be honest I enjoy far too much to drop ( unless advised by GP). You have to have a little bit of enjoyment in life.
Totally agree. I did find I was being a bit too hard on myself mid way through, and had to remind myself that "A bit of what you fancy is good for you". I have even discovered the art of "forest bathing" (trust me it works, look it up) which is about as far removed from me as you can get, I am not that kind of person all but its been life changing.
There's nothing better then being surrounded by trees , I love the colour changes through the seasons. I meditate daily since my HA as it brings me peace.
Absolutely. The first time I heard about this I had the expected reaction of "for goodness sake" but after 5 minutes of reading about it was totally sold even the nhs prescribes it. The scientific research on it is extraordinary, it instantly increases oxytocin and reduces blood pressure etc and its just incredible. I was as far removed from what I saw as new aged rubbish as you can get but it really does work and was absolutely life changing. I now can often be found in my local forest at one with the trees.
I would have loved to have done it after my surgery, I feel I have really missed out, unfortunately it was the middle of lockdown and we only got a video link which although they tried was awful, half the time it didn't work, no advice on anything and just some exercises from the BHF website, which were obviously unmonitored so I wasn't too keen on doing them. After a few weeks that was that no follow up for anything. I know it wasn't there fault but I do think they could have done a bit better. Char
I totally agree. After my HA rehab wouldn't take me because I'm in a wheelchair. ( I discovered 4 years later that it was simply the nurse I saw who "assumed" I wouldn't be able to do i t and if I'd protested, someone else would have assessed me). It would have done wonders for my confidence.
I hope she i s. She made assumptions without even trying to find out what I could or couldn't do. I have very bad spinal problems so no I wouldn't have been able to do everything but it would have been good to have tried.
Cardiac rehab for Telford and Shrewsbury disappeared for a couple of years “due to the virus that must not be named”. No one got any rehab from the NHS trust in 2020, 21 and 22. Eg. I had a heart attack in March 2021 with angioplasty, stent and echocardiogram at specialist unit in Wolverhampton. Was referred back to Royal Shrewsbury, got a phone call to say rehab closed so they were going to discharge me. Finally had a telephone consultation with the cardiologist in August 2023.
I'm originally from Gosport in Hampshire and lived in the area for 50+ years. I had no idea that I lived among the favoured few until I relocated to Eastbourne to take care of a friend. Within months of moving to Eastbourne it became clear just why the town is known as God's Waiting Room
I am a member of several cardiac-related social media groups and the more I get involved the more I see evidence of the NHS postcode lottery.
After I came out of the hospital on April 1st 2016 I found many people who had also had a cardiac arrest. They told me about cardiac rehab. I am still waiting for mine and have only just been referred to speak to a cardiologist.
I was diagnosed as having heart failure while in hospital but my GP didn't tell me this until a couple of years later. I was referred to the heart failure team last year and am still waiting
That's brilliant baly, like you I joined up the gym where the cardio rehab do there weekly sessions a couple of years ago.
I still talk to them when I go and they are really impressed with my ongoing recovery/improvement that much so they use me as a example of what you can achieve after the 8 week run has finished.
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