Getting Your Body Strong After Heart Surgery
Recently I gave a talk to the Mended Heart Support group at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital on “Getting Your Body Strong After Heart Surgery”, and I thought I would write a blog about it in case anyone wanted to learn more about this. This is very useful information for a patient AND their loved ones or family members and caregivers who are wanting to help them in their recovery process.
Taking the Mended Hearts Support Group through a few strength exercises in the chair (abdominal work in this picture). : )
There are many different kinds of heart surgeries and procedures and depending on what procedure you had, will depend on how long your recovery time is. Open heart surgery, where you have your sternum cracked, has a much longer recovery time than an interventional or catheter based procedure.
Open heart surgeries, that would have a longer recovery time, would consist of (1) coronary bypass surgery, (2) heart valve replacement or repair , and (3) Aneurysm repair / fix aorta. An interventional or catheter based procedure, which would have a shorter recovery time, would consist of (1) angioplasty and stents, (2) Aortic valve replacement with a catheter, (3) pacemaker, and (4) ablation for an arrhythmia.
After major heart surgery, one might need cardiac rehabilitation, and after one has completed this and received medical clearance from their doctor to work out, that is when you would potentially hire a personal trainer to assist you in getting your body stronger after your heart surgery. Remember, even if you are feeling better after a non open-heart procedure, the reason you had the procedure to begin with is because your heart was weak, so it is very important, even if you are feeling good, to get on a program to keep your heart and body strong.
In general, there are three areas on which to focus: (1) Strength Training, (2) Cardiovascular Exercise, and (3) Stretching
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CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE
Your heart is a muscle like any other muscle in your body and it needs to be kept strong. Strong hearts will improve and help you to maintain a good quality of life. The American Medical Association recommends that we all get a minimum of 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on a weekly basis. DO NOT WORRY IF YOU ARE NOT DOING THAT NOW. Just take it one step at a time and slowly increase your cardio efforts into your routine as you progress. JUST START MOVING and pat yourself on the back for every effort you make. It would also be very beneficial to work with a personal trainer to assist you with this effort if your schedule permits.
What constitutes cardiovascular exercise? If you are feeling a little sweaty and slightly labored in the breath then you are working your heart muscle. Of course you can work harder where you are really sweating a lot, and gasping every 2-3 words if you were to speak. In this case, you are even working harder of course and your heart is getting stronger too. You can even do intervals where you work moderately for a few minutes and then hard for a minute, etc.
It’s important to do what you enjoy so that you can hopefully embrace exercise into your lifestyle and do it for the long haul. Cardiovascular exercise would consist of (but not limited to) walking, running, swimming, biking, spinning, hiking, dancing, group exercise classes, etc.
What are the benefits of cardiovascular exercise?
Weight loss
Stronger heart and lungs
Increased bone density
Reduced stress
Reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer
Temporary relief from depression or anxiety
More confidence about how you feel and look
Better Sleep
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STRENGTH TRAINING & STRETCHING
Strength training and stretching are also VERY important to incorporate into your routine to help to keep your body strong after heart surgery. It is recommended to do strength training 2-3 times a week, and I would recommend to do stretching on a daily basis. Keeping your chest and back strong after heart surgery is very important. It is also very important to keep these muscle stretched out to assist you with good posture. Perhaps you have been in bed a long time and feel weak in your back. It will be very important to do abdominal and back strengthening exercises to keep these muscle strong as well. If you need guidance, then hiring a personal trainer would help for you to know how to begin and what to focus on.
Both strength training and stretching are very important for functional movement and regular daily activities.
What are the benefits of strength training?
Increased muscle mass
Reduce the speed of muscle loss as you age
Increased bone strength
Better stability
Improved daily activities
Lowered blood pressure
What are the benefits of stretching?
Increased flexibility / range of motion
Improves your performance in physical activities
Incase blood flow to muscles
Improves posture
Heal and prevent back pain
Stress relief
Calm the mind
Better stability
Improved daily activities
Lowered blood pressure
What daily activities would strength training and stretching help with?
Getting in and out of the bed, bathtub, car, toilet
Picking up things off the ground
Reaching for things overhead
Taking our clothes on and off
Tying our shoes
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The bottom line is just begin somewhere. Every baby step is a step in the right direction to a strong healthy you after your heart surgery or procedure! You are worth it!
For more information on Mended Hearts Inc. and the support they offer to heart patients and their families please click here to get to their website.