David’s cardiologist referred him to CP+R as, after 3 years, he was still struggling to recover from a heart attack. He received open heart bypass surgery after the attack but following complications, David had a pacemaker inserted which helped to manage his heart’s rhythm and stabilise his symptoms. However, despite this his energy was very depleted and he couldn’t recover to the extent he wanted, as a keen walker and usually active person.

our action plan

We focussed on improving David’s energy levels and his ability to walk long distances without fatigue – he was keen to return to walking regularly in the countryside around his home. David was also managing long term bilateral knee pain, which was a consideration for our prescription as improper care may not only worsened the knee pain but also impaired his cardiac rehabilitation.

The Cardiac Coach team worked alongside our physiotherapist and Cardiac Nurses to implement a collaborative plan for David. This consisted of two key phases; firstly, building up strength in the legs and general strength endurance so the body was robust enough to cope with longer walks and more energy efficient; secondly, to improve aerobic endurance and efficiency of the heart for longer periods so that his energy levels were stabilised.

To achieve this David’s care involved strength endurance resistance exercise using lots of bodyweight exercises and slow, rhythmical tempos; he was also set progressive step targets and heart-rate based exercise to improve his walking stamina.

David’s results

David’s results were impressive and his change in energy levels were apparent within a few months of joining CP+R.

Over time David was able to reduce his blood pressure from 133/76 mmHg to 116/72 mmHg. David’s blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels also improved which equates to better overall cardiovascular and metabolic health. These objective changes also translated into practical changes with David being able to now regularly completing several hour walks in the hills near his home without a significant dent in his energy levels. His greatly improved strength in his arms and legs also supports this renewed energy and stamina.