Latest / From Recovery to Wellness | Life After Heart Surgery, Aneurysm Repair & Cardiac Healing / How Much Activity is Safe for Open-Heart Surgery at 3 Months, 6 Months, and One Year?

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How Much Activity is Safe for Open-Heart Surgery at 3 Months, 6 Months, and One Year? · From Recovery to Wellness | Life After Heart Surgery, Aneurysm Repair & Cardiac Healing

• 0:07
  Hello, and welcome back to From Recovery to Wellness.
• 0:11
  I'm your host, Arnita. Thank you for joining
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  me as we continue our season four series, Community
• 0:17
  Questions, Aneurysm, Open Heart Surgery, and
• 0:20
  Heart Health Answers. Today's question is one
• 0:23
  that comes up often in recovery communities.
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  And it is how much activity is safe after open
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  heart surgery at three months, six months, and
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  one year? Many survivors wonder when they'll
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  be able to get back to normal activities. Some
• 0:41
  people worry they're doing too much. Others worry
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  they're not doing enough. And sometimes the answer
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  isn't as simple as a specific number of steps
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  or minutes. The reality is that recovery after
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  open heart surgery happens in stages. Every person
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  heals at a different pace. and the type of surgery
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  matters, as well as age, and underlying conditions
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  also matter, as well, and most importantly, your
• 1:15
  physician's recommendations. They should always
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  come first. Today, we'll look at what research
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  and cardiac rehab programs generally tell us
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  about activity levels at three important milestones,
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  three months, six months, and one year after
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  surgery. At the three -month mark, approximately
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  during that time after surgery, most people have
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  moved beyond the earliest recovery phase. The
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  sternum is typically much further along in healing,
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  and many patients have completed or are actively
• 1:53
  participating in cardiac rehab. For many survivors,
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  this stage may include regular walking, light
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  household activities, Light resistance training
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  approved by their healthcare team, improved endurance
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  for daily tasks, and however, this does not necessarily
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  mean unrestricted activity. Many cardiac rehab
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  programs still emphasize gradual progression
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  rather than jumping back into strenuous exercise
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  all at once. Cardiac rehab remains one of the
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  most strongly recommended parts of recovery after
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  heart surgery. At three months, the goal is often
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  rebuilding confidence, endurance, and consistency,
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  not proving how much you can do. Just remember
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  that you're coming out a bit different after
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  surgery. There may be some things that you can't
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  do that you used to do pre -surgery. So just
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  be mindful of that. Now, at the six -month mark,
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  many patients notice meaningful improvements
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  in stamina and strength. Daily activities may
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  feel easier, walking distances may increase,
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  fatigue may continue improving, and many survivors
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  are able to participate in moderate exercise
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  programs approved by their healthcare providers.
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  For some, this may include longer walks, stationary
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  cycling, structured exercise programs, and recreational
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  activities approved by their physician. However,
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  research shows that exercise training and cardiac
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  rehab can improve exercise capacity, quality
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  of life, and overall cardiovascular outcomes.
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  But six months is not a finish line. It's another
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  stage of recovery. And some people feel nearly
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  back to normal. Others continue working through
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  fatigue, deconditioning, or other challenges.
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  Both experiences can be normal. Now that brings
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  us to the one -year mark, where many survivors
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  have established a new routine. For many individuals,
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  daily life may feel much more predictable. Activities
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  that once felt difficult may now feel routine.
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  Many patients are able to participate in regular
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  moderate physical activity as part of a heart
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  healthy lifestyle. Current cardiovascular guidelines
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  increasingly encourage appropriate physical activity
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  because of its benefits for physical health,
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  emotional well -being, functional capacity, and
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  quality of life. However, even one year after
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  surgery, recovery is not necessarily complete
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  for everyone. Some survivors continue managing
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  fatigue. Some continue making adjustments to
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  medications. Others may have activity restrictions
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  related to their specific cardiac condition.
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  The goal isn't necessarily to return to exactly
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  who you were before surgery. The goal is to move
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  forward safely and sustainably. Now, here's this
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  week's research takeaway. Cardiac rehab is recommended
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  by major cardiovascular organizations because
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  it helps improve exercise capacity, quality of
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  life, and long -term outcomes after heart surgery.
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  Recovery generally progresses in stages, and
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  activity recommendations should be individualized
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  based on each patient's condition and physician's
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  guidance. Now that brings us to our food of the
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  week. our healthy food of the week. And I am
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  one who loves desserts, but I restrict myself
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  because, or I'll say I'm very diligent in what
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  I eat. Now, sometimes though I'm not perfect,
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  I'll go on a binge. Like yesterday, I wanted,
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  I had a taste for... my daughter was going to
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  get something through DoorDash and asked me that
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  I want anything. And I'm like, no, no, no, no.
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  And then she said, come on. And she said, I'm
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  buying. She said, do you want anything? And I
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  tell you, Tootsie Rolls just jumped in my head.
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  I love them. Tootsie Rolls and Reese Cups. Those
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  are my favorites when it comes to sweet candy.
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  So she, I told her, I said, just one tootsie
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  roll. And I was thinking more in terms of the
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  one big tootsie roll. She got me a whole bag.
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  And that was just truly my weakness. So I had
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  to really control myself. So, but on a healthier
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  note, I had decided that since desserts were
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  on my mind, I thought of perhaps something healthier.
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  and even though sweet, but healthier. And that
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  is warm cinnamon raisin apples. This is one of
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  the desserts slash recipes that the American
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  Heart Associations recommends. And it is a light
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  comforting dessert featuring sliced baked apples
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  and. sauteed in a skillet with a dash of canola
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  oil. Now, instead of canola oil, I don't use
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  canola oil. That is a no -no. That's a whole
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  nother discussion. But I use avocado oil, raisins,
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  apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg,
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  finished with a topping of crunchy dry roasted
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  walnuts. And I will give a reference to the recipe
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  in the notes below. And then the nutrients and
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  heart health benefits of this dessert are your
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  soluble fiber, pectin, found abundantly in apples
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  and raisins, and it actively lowers your LDL,
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  your bad cholesterol. Then there's your polyphenols
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  and antioxidants. Apples are packed with plant
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  compounds that reduce inflammation in the blood
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  vessels and supports healthy blood pressure.
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  There's also your omega -3 fatty acids in healthy
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  fats. The addition of dry roasted walnuts provides
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  this ALA acid and then a plant -based omega -3
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  that helps lower it. it helps lower blood pressure.
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  It's an omega -3 plant -based nutrient and it
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  improves arterial function and decreases overall
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  cardiovascular risk. Then there's your low sodium,
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  which is something that we should control and
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  watch our sugars as well. So low sodium and controlled
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  sugars, those are two things that are very important
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  that you can control with this recipe or with
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  this dessert. and by relying primarily on the
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  natural sugars of the apples, raisins, and 100
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  % apple juice. This dessert delivers a deeply
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  sweet caramelized flavor with only a minimal
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  amount of added brown sugar, keeping your blood
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  sugar stable. Now, I just want to say that healthy
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  eating doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.
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  By making your own sweet treats allows you to
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  control what ingredients you add and the amount.
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  Sometimes simple foods can play an important
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  role in supporting overall wellness. Now did
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  you know that participating in a cardiac rehab
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  program has been associated with improved exercise
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  tolerance and better long -term cardiovascular
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  outcomes after heart surgery? Many people think
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  recovery ends when they leave the hospital but
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  oh no it doesn't and I am a living witness to
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  that. In reality Recovery often continues for
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  months through exercise, education, and healthy
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  lifestyle habits. Now I got a little bit of something
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  that I want you to think about. This is our reflection
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  question today, something to ponder. Think about
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  this and ask yourself, what activity am I able
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  to do today that felt difficult or even impossible
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  earlier in my recovery? Just take a moment to
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  reflect on how far you've come. Progress isn't
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  always measured in miles or minutes. Sometimes
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  it's measured in confidence, independence, and
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  small victories. Now, for additional information,
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  consider exploring resources from the American
• 11:14
  Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology,
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  the Cleveland Clinic, or your local cardiac rehab
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  program. Now, I just want to say thank you for
• 11:26
  spending part of your day with me. And if you
• 11:29
  enjoyed today's episode, please follow From Recovery
• 11:33
  to Wellness and share it with a fellow survivor,
• 11:35
  caregiver, or friend. You can also connect with
• 11:39
  Wellness by Words for Recovery, focused journals,
• 11:42
  trackers, and educational resources designed
• 11:45
  to support your wellness journey at the link
• 11:48
  in the notes. And I have the link here for you,
• 11:52
  available for you. Again, now I do want to let
• 11:57
  you know that this podcast is intended for educational
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  purposes only and should not be considered medical
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  advice. Always consult your physician or health
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  care team regarding your personal medical situation.
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  So until next time, remember recovery is a journey.
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  Wellness is something we continue pursuing every
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  day. So take care of your heart. Take care of
• 12:23
  yourself and be well.