Jonathan was referred to CP+R following a triple heart bypass and aortic valve replacement operation. This was an elective procedure following episodes of angina and scans revealing severely diseased coronary arteries.
Our action plan
Jonathan began joined CP+R within 2 weeks of surgery to optimise recovery as data shows, the earlier cardiac rehabilitation is initiated, the better the outcomes. On joining, Jonathan was still suffering from chest pain at the sternotomy sight and lacked energy due to the magnitude of the surgery.
Our aim for Jonathan’s was to help his recovery from surgery and to ensure he can implement sustainable lifestyle changes going forward. Jonathan’s programme was constructed as follows:
Week 1-4: Gently increase daily walking; manage pain through diet, mobility and analgesia; employ gentle mobility exercises to encourage healing and ensure no musculoskeletal consequences from the procedure.
Weeks 5-8: Begin to build up intensity of aerobic sessions to challenge the heart to get fitter, start to introduce lower body resistance exercises and functional movements for the upper body.
Weeks 9-12: Introduce resistance training for the whole body to increase muscle mass and strength, implement structured aerobic training sessions and ensure nutritional intake supported this.
Jonathan’s results
Jonathan was able to make a complete and full recovery from surgery through working with us.
Jonathan’s results showed a reduction in body mass and body fat (1.8 kg and 2.3 kg respectively) and an increase in muscle mass (0.5 kg). This is particularly impressive considering during the first two of three phases prior to his reassessment, Jonathan was not able to undertake full resistance training to allow for bone healing.
By the end of his first programme, Jonathan was pain free and able to complete full 60-minute resistance sessions and cardiovascular sessions with no adverse effects, ensuring he can now maintain a sustainable exercise and lifestyle model for a long and healthy life.
