Welcome to the virtual cardiac rehab exercise hub
We have produced this site to help all our patients, current and past, continue with their exercise regimes and maintain their fitness levels.
We hope you are undertaking your exercise sessions a few times a week. They may include a combination of activities from walking to exercise classes.
Please explore the site by clicking the links and use the exercise films to add to your exercise plan as discussed with your cardiac rehab nurse.
Below you will find two exercise programmes to support rehabilitation. Our standard exercise programme is designed to support patients following a heart attack, heart stent or heart surgery.
If you have been diagnosed with heart failure you should follow the tailored, heart failure rehabilitation exercises.
The importance of your cardiac rehabilitation
We know you will have heard this message from us before, but we think it’s really important to remind yourself why our rehab programme is key to your recovery.
Please watch Dr Jamil, our cardiologist and clinical cardiology lead, explain how your regular use of our exercise classes can help you to regain heart health and reduce the risk factors for coronary heart disease.
The real benefit of our cardiac rehab programme is to reduce the risk of a heart attack and so prevent your re-admission to hospital. We hope that in doing so it will improve the quality of your life and the confidence with which you approach daily routines.
Choose the exercise programme that’s right for you
Below are two tailored programmes to support your recovery. Please select the one that matches your condition:
A quick guide to watching a video in full-screen mode
Use the Fullscreen icon at the bottom right of the player to maximise the video on your screen
Your virtual cardiac exercise programme
An important message about safety
Please ensure you have watched and taken note of the safety information that Tom explains in this film, prior to undertaking any exercise.
If you have been diagnosed with, or are experiencing any symptoms of, heart failure then you should not attempt this exercise programme. Please see the heart failure rehab programme below.
Before you start exercising:
- Wear loose, comfortable clothes
- Have a clear space to exercise in
- Have a glass of water nearby so you can drink during the session
- Make sure the room is a comfortable temperature and open a window if needed.
- Have your inhalers and gtn spray close to hand if prescribed
- Before you start any exercise, make sure you are rested and feel well.
Don’t exercise if:
- Wear loose, comfortable clothes
- Have a clear space to exercise in
- Have a glass of water nearby so you can drink during the session
- Make sure the room is a comfortable temperature and open a window if needed.
- Have your inhalers and gtn spray close to hand if prescribed
- Before you start any exercise, make sure you are rested and feel well.
Start your exercise class
When you are ready to begin you can click on the exercise film and make it full screen on your device so it will be easier to see. You can simply press the pause button on the screen if you need. If you follow through the full routine this will take around 45 minutes.
If this is the first time you are doing this routine then we recommend that you watch the ‘More information’ film with Louise below and click on the information panels. These contain helpful explanations and advice to support the rehab programme.
A quick guide to watching a video in full-screen mode
Use the Fullscreen icon at the bottom right of the player to maximise the video on your screen
Your virtual cardiac exercise programme
An important message about safety
Please ensure you have watched and taken note of the safety information that Tom explains in this film, prior to undertaking any exercise.
Before you start exercising:
- Wear loose, comfortable clothes
- Have a clear space to exercise in
- Have a glass of water nearby so you can drink during the session
- Make sure the room is a comfortable temperature and open a window if needed.
- Have your inhalers and gtn spray close to hand if prescribed
- Before you start any exercise, make sure you are rested and feel well.
Don’t exercise if:
- You’ve recently eaten food or drunk alcohol. Ideally wait for at least 2 hours
- Your heart beat feels irregular and this is not normal for you
- You have a temperature or feel generally unwell
- You have chest pain when resting
- Remember you can contact your GP or cardiac rehabilitation team if you’re concerned about any symptoms that are preventing you exercise
More information to help you
Getting used to an exercise routine after problems with your heart can be something you might be anxious about. We have organised some helpful additional advice and videos in each of the panels below to help you find out more about managing your cardiac rehab.
There are additional web links to trusted sources of further information. We will keep adding to this list of links and resources as we find more that can help you.
Exercise & Health: Key Tips and Resources
What are the phases of the exercise programme?
What to watch out for when exercising?
How to take blood pressure reading?
How to take your pulse
Where else can I find useful resources?
Main cardiac rehab service
Head over to our main website pages for more about what we do
With thanks
Thank you to our brilliant cardiac rehab team and consultant cardiologist who’s support and commitment have led to the creation of this website
