2 weeks post op how far should we be walking?

[seabubble]

I had a schedule for the first week where I was walking 300 feet four times a day but no schedule for the following weeks?

Did any of you get a schedule that says how far or long we should be walking in the 2nd through six weeks?

Thanks a bunch.

Vickie

 

[Bina]

I walked 10 feet to the bathroom. It really depends on how you feel.

 

[Jkm7]

Here is the walking schedule Mass General gives to OHS patients:

Week 1: walk 5-10 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day
Week 2: walk 10-15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day
Week 3: walk 20 minutes, 1 to 2 times a day
Week 4: walk 25-30 minutes once a day

I followed this faithfully through two OHS and it served me very well. I had easy recovery both times and the walking really makes a difference IMO I have been a walker for a long time and I think it one of the best things we can do for ourselves.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jason]

I started cardiac rehab 2 weeks after surgery, and at that time they had me walking 20 minutes and recumbent biking 20 minutes each time I was in. On the off days I was walking (at the YMCA) at a slightly lower pace for 30 minutes. Now at 5-6 weeks I am going for an hour at cardiac rehab and an hour on the off days at the Y. I never got an official recommendation from my doc or cardiac rehab, but they have been steadily working me up. I do think that everyone's schedule is tailored to their particular situation, but the recommendations by jkm7 seem reasonable for most.

 

[Rocky]

1st week I was still in the hospital. I walked several times a day and started using the stairs in the hospital.
2nd week I was at my daughters. I walked several times a day in the hall way of her appartment and went up and down a flight of stairs each time. I also went downtown every second or third day for my INR and took the bus home.
3rd week I was still at her appartment for the first part of it. I did the same as the second week.
At 3 1/2 weeks was back home and working part days. This included walking at work.
4 weeks I was walking around the block and increasing as I felt comortable.
At 8 weeks, I started to fell a bit off, so I have slowed down the excersise regime and walk only for my daily get around stuff, like work, coffee and home chores.
The key, is to not get tired or weary and only go as far as your body tells you it is OK to go.

 

[JimL]

Go to cardiac rehab. They will tell you the right amount for you to be walking. Not too much. Not too little. It's what they do.

 

[WandaW]

Go to Cardiac Rehab. It really helps to be monitored while you work out and they set a program up for you that works with your body.

 

[Greg a]

Cardiac rehab will also set benchmarks for YOU as an individual.......remember that a 20min walk means walking away from the house for ten and back for ten

 

[Bryan B]

First of all every patient is different so what is right for one patient may not be right for another patient.

Like someone said I was in the hospital the first week so I'm not sure exactly how much I walked. I just know it was a little more each day. They had a sign next to the nurses station that told you what the distance was for the amount of laps you did around the ward but I don't remember them now.

Week 2: (1st week out of hospital) I did probably 1/4 to 1/2 mile a day depending on how I felt.

Week 3: 1/2 to 1 mile a day depending on how I felt.

Week 4: 1 to 1.5miles a day depending on how I felt.

As you can see I basically upped my walking by 1/2 mile a week. Sometimes I would do more if I was having a good day and less if I was having a bad day. I started out on our driveway which is flat and exactly 40 yards from the house to the street. 11 round trips (22 x 40 yards) equaled exactly 1/2 mile so I kept to the driveway on week 2 and week 3 since we have a hilly neighborhood. I started venturing out past the driveway on week 4...lol. By week 6 I was doing 3 miles a day unless I didn't feel good or the weather was bad. Now I am at 8.5 weeks and I generally take two 2 mile walks a day plus I am more active in general so that counts for something as well. I know I could (and probably should) keep increasing my distance but I have a bad left knee and a bad right hip so I have decided that 4 miles a day is enough without causing problems with the knee and hip.

I agree that cardiac rehab is a great way to get going on your exercise in a supervised environment. I did it after my first surgery and it helped a lot. I actually looked forward to it not only for the exercise but I knew I had something to do 3 times a week...lol. I have been trying to get into rehab myself but I am on Medicaid and the red tape has prevented me from doing so to date. If it takes much longer I'm not sure if I will even do it as my only issues are a pounding heart and high/normal blood pressure which my cardiologists are monitoring. My sternum feels good (knock on wood) and I even hit 20 golf balls on the range last week and was not sore the next day.

Your body should let you know if you are doing too much so listen to it. But you need to walk to get your lungs fully re-inflated and get your muscles working again. That is why cardiac rehab is so great, because they will monitor you the entire time so you don't have to worry as much about whether or not you are doing to much or too little.

 

[seabubble]

WOW - thanks so much for all the great info and response to my question. I'm not able to go to cardiac rehab as it is 1 1/2 hours away. I've been doing 20 minutes once or twice a day and am going to bump it up a little at a time. I see my surgeon tomorrow for my follow up and hopefully all is well and maybe they can give me an idea of what happens next as far as driving and going back to work, etc. and walking time and distance. Thanks again for all of your input.

 

[ejc61]

I think Bryan B stated it best. Everyone's a bit different although my walking mirrored his. It's a good idea to walk in circles at home so that you are not drifting away from your house in case you need to come back and you're tired. I didn't even have cardiac rehab per se. In the hospital, I remember walking on my own 3 days after probably 10 minute stints. The staff was probably nervous although they encouraged walking as much as possible. My wife was also nervous when she came to visit and I wasn't in my room. Even my surgeon really didn't give me many restrictions rearding activities other than lifting.

 

[sweetmarie]

Re: Cardiac rehab

Re: Cardiac rehab

WOW - thanks so much for all the great info and response to my question. I'm not able to go to cardiac rehab as it is 1 1/2 hours away. I've been doing 20 minutes once or twice a day and am going to bump it up a little at a time. I see my surgeon tomorrow for my follow up and hopefully all is well and maybe they can give me an idea of what happens next as far as driving and going back to work, etc. and walking time and distance. Thanks again for all of your input.

I didn't have that option either but it sounds like a good program. Would be the best to have our own program taylor made for each of us depending on our capacities. I live in a small town, it has advantages and disadvantages. I really think our bodies will indicate when enough is enough. I did not get to that point.

 

[Rosebud54]

I'm 2 weeks post op and I'm getting tired very easily. I thought it would start to get better by now.

Carol

5 April 2011
BAV that did not need replaced
Two Aortic Ascending Aortic Aneurysms one replaced with Dacron and one had a nip-tuck
Bethesda National Naval Hospital, Bethesda, MD

 

[Rocky]

I'm 2 weeks post op and I'm getting tired very easily. I thought it would start to get better by now.

Carol

Carol,

Give it time. It is a big thing we have all gone through. Being tired after two weeks is not uncommon. I was and I still get weary mid afternoon. I lay down and nap for even 10 minutes and I feel a bit better each time.

It is a gift we have all received. Time.

Rocky

 

[Debbrn]

Everyone is very individualistic at this point. I stayed at a local hotel for a week after I was discharged. I had no car so my feet were my only form of transportation. Three days after discharge or 1 1/2 weeks post-op i walked 12,000 steps in one day. I usually did 3 walks a day. (short, medium, and long). Two weeks after discharge my long walk was a little over a mile and lasted 25-30 minutes. I usually rested in the middle of the day sometime after lunch.

Debbie

 

[seabubble]

Well, I saw my surgeon yesterday for post op follow-up and he said until I get off the beta blockers a 20 minute walk is enough because the beta blockers won't allow my heartrate to get up very high and it's possible that if I go longer I may hit a wall and just not be able to go anymore (of course then I'd have to call hubby to come and get me). So, I'll stick with that for now along with all the other stuff I'm doing in a day - oh he also said I could start lifting weight again (light at first of course).

Having your life saved is a beautiful thing.
Vickie

 

[Andrew J]

Hi Vickie, Ye I was told to do 20 min walks to get my heart rate up to 120, after 3 months I got myself a execise bike which was great that way I didn't have to leave the house. Its a great feeling as you get stronger. I had two ops within a week, the second was due to leaking valve a week after my first which wasn't nice. The funny part of this story is went I got out of bed while in hospital they wanted me to go for a walk along the corridor which I did very slowly and I remember walking and hearing like a trolley behind me so I moved over to allow them to pass. It was an older person(I was 48 at the time) walking with one of those walking frames going past me, I couldnt stop laughing it hurt. The moral is do what you feel you can do.