Things that will help you to recover more quickly

Eat healthily

Eating a healthy diet will help to ensure that your body has all the nutrients it needs to heal.

Stop smoking

By not smoking - even if it’s just for the time that you’re recovering - you immediately start to improve your circulation and your breathing - not to mention a whole list of other benefits to the heart and lungs.

Family and friends

Family and friends can give you two important things:

• Practical help with the tasks you might be temporarily unable to do while you recover - such as driving, the weekly shop, or lifting heavier items.
• Keeping your spirits up - the novelty soon wears off being home alone all day, and it’s easy to feel isolated by this. Having company can help you to worry less. It’s important not to let anxiety set in, as it can become a problem in itself which stands in the way of you getting back to your normal routine.

Keep a routine

Get up at your normal time in the morning, get dressed, move about the house. If you get tired, you can rest later.

Build up gradually

Have a go at doing some of the things you’d normally do, but build up gradually. Some suggestions are included in the recovery tracker. Obviously, everyone recovers at a different speed, so not all of the suggestions will be suitable for everybody.

When you’re building up your activities, you may feel more tired than normal. If so, stop, and rest until your strength returns.

Plan your activity over the day, set realistic targets and try not to do too much in any one day. With practice you will soon be able to progress your activity and will feel less tired generally. Do listen to your body as it gives lots of clues about how it’s coping with new activity levels and with practice you will soon have the skills to grade your activity level without feeling tired.

You are entitled to be assessed and, if it would benefit you, to be offered cardiac rehabilitation. Research has shown that patients that attend cardiac rehab do much better than those that don’t. This is more than just advice. It is an ongoing programme, lasting at least 6 weeks, during which heart patients can regain physical strength and self-confidence and discuss changes to their lifestyle with a team of health professionals. Ask your nurse or doctor about how you can get cardiac rehab in your area. If you have already left hospital ask your GP about cardiac rehab.