If you were recently in hospital, you may have been given some instructions about returning to physical activity. You can speak with your doctor, cardiac rehabilitation team, or other healthcare professional for advice on beginning activities again and pacing yourself.
Within a few weeks of a heart event or diagnosis, many people find they are ready to start returning to everyday activities.
It’s important to follow your doctor’s advice and slowly build up your activity. Take notice of how you feel when you are doing any type of physical activity. This will help you find a comfortable and safe level of activity that works for you as you recover.
A good way to start is by doing light, everyday activities, such as walking. You can build up by gradually adding other easy activities as you feel able.
While it’s great to be more active, in the first couple of weeks you should avoid doing heavier housework, such as mowing the lawn, vacuuming, mopping, weeding, or raking until your doctor says that it's safe for you to do these.
Staying active is great for your heart health and your recovery. It's important to not do too much too soon. Light walking is a great way to start. Go at your own pace and build up gradually.
Being regularly active can have immediate and long-lasting benefits including:
Walking is a great way to start, as you can go at your own pace and build up gradually. After a heart event or diagnosis, you can start with walking 5–10 minutes a day and build up slowly to 30 minutes over several weeks.
Begin with walking around your house or your block. Make sure that the ground is flat and remember to walk at a comfortable pace. To know if you are walking at the right pace, your breathing should be a bit heavier, but you should still be able to talk while walking. If you don’t feel well enough to walk one day, let your body rest. It's okay to miss walking that day.
Stop if any activity causes you pain, or you get very tired, dizzy or short of breath. Read up on the Warning signs of a heart attack action plan to know what to do if this happens.
Begin with a goal, such as walking to the local shops or around the block. As you start to feel better and your energy levels start to improve, slowly increase how fast you walk. You should feel that you are breathing a bit faster, but still comfortably. It is important to warm up before and cool down after your walk. To warm up, start at a slower and easier pace for the first few minutes of your walk, and cool down for five minutes at a slower pace at the end of the walk. This helps to gradually increase your heart rate and helps prevent muscle injuries.
Below is a guide you might want to try as you build up your walking pace.
| STAGE | TIME (MINS) | TIMES PER DAY | PACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5-10 | 1-2 | Gentle |
| 2 | 15 | 1 | Gentle |
| 3 | 20 | 1 | Moderate |
| 4 | 25 | 1 | Moderate |
| 5 | 25-30 | 1 | Moderate |
| 6 | 30+ | 1 | Moderate |
Last updated18 April 2024
