Heart Patient Diet & Exercise

For most heart patients the recovery time varies, ranging from two weeks to three months, according to the American Heart Association. The most helpful tools for recovery for heart patients are diet and exercise. If you follow a proper diet and exercise regimen, you can recover faster and avoid further cardiac problems.

TLC Diet

• Get some TLC. The National Cholesterol Education Program promotes the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, which focuses on reducing cholesterol levels and saturated fat. The TLC diet limits the amount of meat and dairy foods you consume. Olive oil, canola oil or peanut oil replaces animal fats. Maintaining this diet will have you consuming less then 200 mg of cholesterol per day, which is well below the daily guideline and will help you to lose weight and then maintain a healthier weight.

Exercise Plan

• Before starting any type of exercise plan, ask your doctor for clearance. If you have had heart surgery, also consult your surgeon or cardiologist. According to the American Heart Association, walking a long distance is the first step in beginning the exercise program. Walk daily and slowly, increasing your distance over the first few weeks. Don't worry about the speed of your walking, but rather concentrate on how many steps you are taking and how far you are going. Have someone accompany you the first few times you walk.

  After the first six to eight weeks of recovery, you should gradually increase your workouts depending on the state of your recovery. This includes light jogging short distances, climbing stairs slowly for a few minutes and some weight training. If you feel dizzy or faint, be sure to contact your physician.