Cardiac Rehab is Finished--Now What?

Today marks one week since my final Cardiac Rehab session.

Now it is up to me.

Do I miss going to Rehab? Actually, I do. It is good to have a structured program, the good machines to work on, and the Rehab nurses and staff, who are the best. On the flip side, it is nice to know that I am in much better condition now than I was when I began the program. It is time to develop my own lifestyle that will keep up what was accomplished.

I look forward to weather that will have me outdoors and walking. I do not handle cold well anymore. So, if I can't go out walking, what can I do?

First, I simply must remind myself to get up and get moving. It is way too easy to get comfortable in a cozy chair with a book or a TV program, and just stay there. This is a hard habit to break, but I am working on it!


I can peddle away while watching TV or
listening to an Audible book.

Second, I must remember the lesson they taught us in Rehab: At least 10 minutes of consecutive exercise (using the legs!) are necessary for heart conditioning. Thirty to sixty minutes of cardiac exercise per day for at least four days per week are recommended.

Third, I can use what I have available at home. I can go for house walks. Now, just walking around and around in my house can be a bit boring, but I have lots of Audible books I can listen to as I walk. I also have those 17 stairs that lead up from the garage to my home. I can start incorporating them into house walks for a little heavier work load.

I have also invested in a peddling exerciser that I get a pretty good leg workout on. My house does not have room for a big recumbent bike, but with this machine I can sit in a chair and peddle away while reading or watching TV. It only weighs 23 pounds, so doesn't take up a lot of room, and the workload intensity can be adjusted for different levels of difficulty.

So, it is up to me.