Recovering from a heart attack can take a long time, but you will have a team of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other medical professionals to help you get back on your feet. Your condition will also be closely monitored to ensure that you aren’t pushing yourself too hard, so you may need to come in for a stress echocardiogram at the London clinic before you can increase your physical activity.

Are You Ready to Exercise?

As you recover from your heart attack your progress will be carefully monitored so that your care team can be sure you are ready to progress to the next stage. Your doctors will give you personalised advice on how much exercise it is safe to do and you may be invited for a stress echocardiogram in London to see how well your heart is coping. It is important to listen to your doctors and not to push yourself too hard. It takes time to recover from a heart attack, but you can return to your previous level of activity and even increase your fitness.

Taking it Slow

Everyone progresses at a different rate, so you will be given a personalised exercise program to follow. At first, you will probably be advised to do no more than take a short walk, but the amount of physical activity you can do will gradually be increased over the course of the next few weeks. When you are ready, your exercise plan will begin to include increasing amounts of aerobic exercise, such as jogging, swimming, or using an exercise bike. This will help to strengthen your heart and reduce the risk of another heart attack. You should soon begin to feel the effects of this exercise regimen, and your doctors will see the difference it is making too if you return for another stress echocardiogram in London. Eventually, you will be able to enjoy regular physical activity, just like anyone else. Most adults should be doing about 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week, and many people are able to build up to this level of activity following a heart attack.