Another great form of aerobic exercise counting towards your 150 minutes a week of moderate activity. Running isn’t for everyone but for those of you who are keen runners, it is a great way to regain, maintain and develop cardiovascular fitness. This doesn’t have to be running for miles each day but to start with a gentle run across a flat service will get your heart pumping and help to strengthen your heart muscle. You can then build on this.
Have a chat with your cardiac rehab team to decide when you can start but I would advise starting with what feels comfortable for you and remember you can slow down to a walk or stop at any point. It is important to remember if you do suddenly stop to keep your toes wiggling or move your feet to keep the blood pumping throughout your body and aid your venous return. It might be a good idea to invest in a fitness watch or something that keeps track of your heart rate. Just so you can keep an eye on it and to make sure it doesn’t go too high. Or you can always check your pulse the old school way.
If you’re nervous about starting, you could ask a willing friend or family member to join you (if you can find one). If not, there are plenty of running clubs around you can join. Maybe ask at your local leisure centre or have a look on google/ Facebook. However, sometimes doing this yourself can really help to build your confidence and independence. As I said it doesn’t have to be for miles but starting gently and building it up is the best way to go about it. It might not seem like it at the end time but when you get home and sit down you will get a massive sense of achievement which will boost your confidence and motivation even more.
It’s a good idea to do some stretching before you go and when you get home as this will prevent muscle soreness the next day. However, after the first few runs you can expect to be sore the next day. I always think this is quite a nice feeling as it reminds me how hard I worked yesterday. Maybe that’s just me. Make sure you’ve warmed up and cooled down and maybe take a drink with you. But that brings us to the end of the running section.
