Exercise and your heart

Exercise is essential for most people with heart problems. Your health care team will help you learn the best kind of exercise to help your heart.

If you have had a heart attack, you will probably be encouraged to return to your normal activities, and start regular exercise, as soon as your doctor advises.

If you have heart failure, you will probably be encouraged to exercise regularly, but you may have special concerns about feeling energetic enough to do this.

It's important that you talk to your health care team about exercise. Be sure to get answers to the following:

Ask for a specific exercise plan that is right for you.
Ask all the questions you can.
Ask what help is available to you, specifically outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.
Ask when to resume daily activities after your hospital stay and how you can ease yourself into a more active life.