Physiotherapist

Cardiac rehabilitation is most often offered to people who have had a heart attack, coronary angioplasty, or bypass surgery. It can also be helpful if you’ve had an ICD fitted, or have stable heart failure, stable angina, cardiomyopathy or congenital heart disease.

A good cardiac rehabilitation programme should always consider what your individual needs are, how those can be met and how you can enjoy the best possible health in the future.

Cardiac rehab programmes usually start two to six weeks after you leave hospital. Different programmes vary, but usually involve a session once or twice a week for six to 12 weeks. They are usually run in group sessions in a hospital, community centre or leisure centre, but there are also home-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes.

After you finish the programme, you may be able to continue cardiac rehab in community sessions. Many people enjoy attending this kind of exercise sessions for months or years after their heart event.

There are a variety of ways to exercise at home – exercise DVDs, pre-recorded and ‘live’ virtual exercise sessions on the internet, social media, and audio-visual conferencing platforms, and exercise-based ‘Apps’ available to download on mobile phones, tablets or watches. It may be that you are simply looking at using exercise equipment you already have in your house.

It is recommended that you are assessed by a cardiovascular rehabilitation healthcare professional (this may be completed ‘remotely’ e.g. over the telephone or online) and inform them of the resource or equipment you wish to use. They may also recommend particular websites or Apps they feel will be most helpful for you.

The main aspects of cardiac rehab are reducing your risk factors, protecting your heart and long-term management of your condition. This includes ways that you can improve your lifestyle, such as diet, and stopping smoking and physical activity – usually there will be exercise sessions you can take part in, with experts to keep an eye on you.

Many people get lots of other positive things out of attending cardiac rehab. This might include feeling more confident about exercise, returning to work, or other aspects of normal life; realising you are not alone in your situation; meeting other people in a similar situation who can provide support; and finding support for partners or carers.

When you have a heart condition there are some important things to consider before you participate in water-based activities. The reason for this is that both swimming and aqua-aerobics can be strenuous activities and being in the water may cause you to underestimate how hard you are working.

It is recommended you have an assessment with a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) exercise professional who will provide advice and guidance. Starting will vary on your own circumstances and specific cardiac condition.