After a heart attack, your heart may become inefficient at pumping blood around your body. If you receive emergency medical care within the first hour of having a heart attack, the amount of damage to the heart may not be too great and you can return to your normal daily activities. However, a heart attack is a warning that if you don't change your lifestyle, you could have another heart attack or develop health complications. According to the researchers, exercise is one of the most important factors for preventing heart disease. They also state that people who undergo an exercise program after a heart attack have better outcomes, are less likely to be hospitalized, and have increased life expectancy in the next few years.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing for Exercise
Step 1. Consult a doctor
Make sure you have your doctor's permission to practice before starting an exercise program. If the heart is damaged due to lack of oxygen, it may take several weeks for the heart to heal and return to function properly. You may need to have a pressure test before you leave the hospital so your doctor can get information about the level of physical activity you are capable of doing. In general, there is no fixed amount of time about how long you should wait before being allowed to exercise. Your doctor will determine when you can exercise based on your current health condition, the degree of heart damage, and your physical condition before having a heart attack.
Your doctor will recommend that you don't put stress on your heart by exercising or having sex before the muscle heals
Step 2. Understand the importance of exercise
Exercise can help strengthen the heart muscle, increase oxygen efficiency, lower blood pressure, stabilize blood sugar, reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes, help manage stress and weight, and help lower cholesterol levels. All of these factors can also help reduce your risk of having a heart attack in the future. Begin your rehabilitation by doing aerobic exercise, or cardio exercise.
- Anaerobic exercise (exercise that is not aerobic) is exercise with a high enough intensity that triggers the formation of lactic acid, which can build up in the heart. Anaerobic training is specifically used for sports that do not require endurance to increase strength, speed and power. You should avoid this type of exercise if you have recently had a heart attack.
- The threshold that you are allowed to do anaerobic exercise is the switch between aerobic to anaerobic exercise. Endurance athletes have trained to increase these thresholds so they can train at higher intensity without experiencing lactic acid buildup.
Step 3. Initiate a cardiac rehabilitation program if applicable
Everyone has a different rate of recovery after a heart attack. The rate of recovery is affected by the amount of damage to the heart muscle and physical fitness before a heart attack. While undergoing cardiac rehabilitation, a cardiac therapist will monitor your exercise program using an electrocardiogram and blood pressure to avoid injury. After 6 to 12 weeks of supervised cardiac rehabilitation, you can start an exercise program at home.
People who undergo cardiac rehabilitation programs based on a doctor's referral or through a team will have better long-term outcomes and a faster recovery. Despite this fact, only about 20% of heart attack patients are recommended to receive cardiac rehabilitation or a prescribed exercise program after they have had a heart attack. The percentage for female and elderly patients is even lower
Step 4. Learn to count your pulse
Measure the pulse at the wrist, not at the neck (carotid artery). You could accidentally block the carotid artery when measuring your pulse. Place the first two fingers (not the thumb as they have their own pulse) of one hand on the wrist of the other just below the thumb. You will feel your pulse. Count the number of beats in 10 seconds and then multiply the result by six.
- You'll need to track how fast your heart is pumping so you can keep your heart rate within the range you set with your doctor.
- The range will vary depending on your age, weight, fitness level, and the amount of heart damage you have.
Step 5. Talk to your doctor about sex
Sex is a form of exercise. After a heart attack, sufferers are often advised to wait 2 to 3 weeks before being allowed to have sex. This length of time depends on the amount of heart damage and the results of your pressure test.
The doctor may also ask you to wait for more than 3 weeks before being allowed to have sex
Part 2 of 3: Getting Started with Sports
Step 1. Stretch before exercising
If your doctor permits, you can stretch in the hospital. Try to stretch at least once a day to get your body ready for the workout. You should stay relaxed and breathe well during the stretch. Keep the joints slightly bent and never lock the joints when stretching to avoid injury. You shouldn't bounce the muscles either. Instead, stretch gently and hold your stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat the stretch 3 to 4 times.
Stretching doesn't increase muscle strength or heart efficiency, but it can increase flexibility, allow you to perform various exercises more easily, improve balance, and reduce muscle tension
Step 2. Start an exercise program by walking
Whether you are a marathon runner or have never exercised before a heart attack, the first exercise you can do after a heart attack is walking. Warm up by walking for 3 minutes. Then increase the pace of walking which makes your breath work harder than when you're just sitting, but you can still have a conversation. Walk for about 5 minutes at this pace. Add an extra minute or two to your daily walking activity until you can walk for 30 minutes a day.
- Bring someone to stay with you for the first few weeks and don't go too far from home just in case you feel uncomfortable or out of breath. Bring a cell phone so you can call home or emergency services (112 or 118) just in case there is an emergency.
- Don't forget to cool down after you train.
Step 3. Be careful when adding activities
Do not engage in strenuous activity within 4 to 6 weeks of having a heart attack. It takes about 6 weeks for the heart to heal to allow it to be used for moderate and vigorous exercise, even if you were in pretty good shape before the heart attack. Some things to avoid include: pulling or lifting heavy objects, vacuuming using a vacuum, sweeping, scrubbing, painting, running, mowing the grass or moving the body with sudden movements. You can start doing things like walking around on a flat surface for a few minutes at a time, washing dishes, cooking, shopping, light gardening, and doing light housework.
- Gradually increase the time and intensity of exercise and never switch to anaerobic exercise.
- Your leg and arm muscles may feel sore in the hours and days after starting an exercise program. However, you should not feel any aches or pains during the exercise.
Step 4. Increase the exercise gradually
Just like when you start an exercise program before you have a heart attack, you should gradually increase the time and intensity of your workout. This reduces the chance of injury and can keep you motivated. Do not increase the time or intensity of exercise until your doctor allows you to do more than just a 30-minute walk. It can take up to 12 weeks to become comfortable with a 30-minute brisk walk depending on the amount of heart damage and your previous level of fitness.
Once you can walk comfortably for 30 minutes once a day, you can start to include other types of exercise such as cycling, rowing, hiking, tennis, or jogging
Step 5. Ask your doctor to examine you before adding strength training
Your doctor will likely not recommend that you start a strength training program right after you are discharged from the hospital. You should ask your doctor about when you can start strength training.
- You can use dumbbells at home or a set of resistance bands that you can use to practice standing up or placed in a doorway. Resistance bands can be used for both arms and legs and allow you to increase the amount of resistance and energy you expend.
- Take time to recover muscle between training sessions, so don't do strength training more than three times a week and wait at least 48 hours between sessions.
- Strength training can also increase the likelihood that you will be able to return to the same level of activity as before, such as mowing the lawn, playing with your grandchildren, and carrying groceries. Strength training can reduce the potential you can suffer from inactivity and muscle wasting.
- Do not hold your breath when you lift weights or move the resistance band. This will increase the pressure on the chest and put a heavier burden on the heart.
Step 6. Stay active throughout the day
After exercising, do not continue to sit in a chair all day. Research shows that even if you exercise for up to an hour a day, you will lose the benefits of the exercise if you continue to sit in a chair to work or watch television for the next 8 hours. Instead, try dividing your time by getting up and stretching or moving every 30 minutes. Get up from your seat for a drink of water, go to the bathroom, stretch, or go for a five-minute walk. You can also do the following things to keep your body moving:
- Walk around the room while you're on the phone, or at least stand up, don't just sit down
- Place a glass of water in another room so that you have to get up every 30 minutes to drink.
- Arrange the room in such a way that you have to get up and sit all day.
Part 3 of 3: Heeding the Warning Signs
Step 1. Look for signs that your heart is working too hard
Stop exercising if you experience chest pain, dizziness, nausea, irregular heartbeat, or experience shortness of breath when exercising. Exercise can indeed tighten the heart. Call your doctor or emergency services if your symptoms don't go away quickly. If you have nitroglycerin, take it with you when you exercise. Also write down the symptoms you experienced, when they occurred, the last time you ate, how long the symptoms lasted, and how often they occurred.
Talk to your doctor about other symptoms before you resume an exercise program. Maybe your doctor will do another pressure test before you resume exercising
Step 2. Prevent injuries and accidents
Wear the right clothes and shoes for the exercise you are doing. Don't get dehydrated while exercising and always tell others where you're training when you go out to do exercises. Always use the right decisions and do not practice beyond the limits of ability.
It's better to continue to do light-intensity exercises every day than to train hard but be sidelined for several weeks because of an injury or have to stay in the hospital because of another heart attack
Step 3. Do not do the exercise outdoors when the weather is hot or cold
The body has to work harder when the weather is very cold or hot because it has to provide oxygen to the cells, including the heart. Do not exercise outdoors when the temperature reaches less than 1.7°C or more than 29.4°C with humidity over 80%.
Tips
- Don't get dehydrated while you practice. Whether you're training outdoors or at the gym, bring water and drink it often. When you're dehydrated, your blood becomes "sticky" and your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body.
- Practice finding the pulse on your wrist before exercising to make it easier for you to work out.
Warning
- Stop exercising immediately if you have chest pain, nausea or pain, or experience shortness of breath when you are not doing strenuous exercise. Stop exercising and monitor your symptoms. Get medical help right away if the symptoms do not go away within 3 to 5 minutes.
- Avoid extreme weather conditions. Weather that is too cold or too hot can put additional stress on the heart. Do not exercise in direct sunlight when the temperature is over 29°C, unless the humidity is very low. Also avoid exercising when the conditions are windy with a temperature of -18°C or less.
