The Importance Of Physical Activity: 9 Exercise Safety Tips For After A Heart Attack

Exercising is a very important part of the recovery process a heart attack. Sadly, a lot of people only realize how important physical activity is for heart health after surviving such an event. However, depending on your current situation and health status, you may not be able to perform just any exercise without over-working the heart.

1. Start small

Before you start mapping out an exercise routine, you have to talk to your doctor. It’s important to know what your limits are and how much activity is safe for you. Your doctor will most likely tell that you that it’s crucial to tackle physical activity one step at a time, then gradually increase the duration and intensity if your body is up for the challenge.

Your body’s response to the activity you perform will serve as a guide, but also keep these things in mind:

• Drink plenty of water before, after, and during your exercising times. You will sweat a lot, so your body will lose water and be dehydrated if you don’t drink plenty of it.
• You can start off by walking, and then increase your duration and pick up the pace as your body starts to feel more comfortable with the exercise.
• Avoid exercising right after a heavy meal.
• If your body feels sore or if you’re feeling unwell overall, postpone your exercises.

2. Take a friend

Exercising with a friend or a family member won’t just keep you motivated to continue, but it will also keep you safe. You will have peace of mind knowing that if you don’t feel well, you have someone there to help you. Working out with friends makes you feel more confident, and it’s a great way to enjoy exercising if you’ve never been a fan before.

3. Take your phone

If you’re exercising alone, make sure that you always have your phone with you. This way, you can always call for help in case something bad happens. Furthermore, always let your family know where you’re off to when you’re out exercising. If you plan on riding a bike, tell them what your route will be. If you’re jogging in the park, reveal your location beforehand.

4. Take your medicine

It’s not uncommon for heart attack survivors to be prescribed angina-relieving medication for chest pain. If you have such a prescription, take some pills with you when you’re out exercising. In case you feel any chest pain due to physical exertion, take a break and quickly swallow a pill.

5. Avoid extreme temperatures

Always avoid exercising when it’s too hot or too cold outside. Temperatures can stress the heart quite a lot, which makes it a better idea for you to exercise indoors during peak summer and winter temperatures. When exercising outside, always do so in mild weather.

6. Pay attention to your body

If you feel unwell, your body will send out all the signals that something is wrong. You just have to pay attention to how it responds when you’re exercising. You should cease your exercise routine and call for a doctor if you start feeling numbness in the arms, gas/indigestion, dizziness, dyspnea, intense chest pain, very fast heartbeats, or extreme fatigue.

You will notice that your body has to adjust to your new exercising routine, particularly if you were a sedentary person before the heart attack.

7. Attend cardiac rehabilitation

People who attend cardiac rehabilitation will end up having an individualized plan that will help them:

• Understand what risks they are exposing themselves to if they don’t follow the recovery plan.
• Know more about how to maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity, which is one of the risk factors for a heart attack.
• Learn correct exercise and training methods that are tailored to how much their body can handle after the event they’ve just survived.

8. Chores help a lot

Your doctor will likely tell you to take it easy during the first few weeks after having suffered a heart attack. But performing chores around the house within decent intensity limits might be a great way to start off exercising in a safe way.

If you’re passionate about gardening, the simple activities that this hobby implies will get you moving (just make sure you avoid exposure in high temperatures). Housework can also get your muscles going and you will involuntarily be doing some cardio exercising while you clean the house.

If you live in an apartment building, even the simple activity of climbing stairs can be a good exercise for your heart. Just make sure that you take things slowly and climb the stairs at your usual pace.

9. Pay attention to strength training

Even if strength training is a great idea for exercising in the long term, it’s not something you want to do immediately after a heart attack. People who lift heavy weights are very likely to end up having elevated blood pressure, which is one of the risk factors for heart disease. Strength training is best suited for later on, once you’ve given your body a chance to recover a bit. However, if you plan on including weight training in your exercise routine, talk to your doctor about it.

Conclusion

Heart attack survivors will be required to make some drastic changes in the way they live. Aside from medication treatment, what one eats and how much they exercise is an important part not just of the recovery process, but also crucial in maintaining heart health in the long run. It’s very important to talk to your doctor to establish some limits and understand more about how much exercise your heart can take.