Starting a cardiac rehabilitation program is an important goal for you to return to the golf course. During the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, you will learn how to control the modifiable risk factors for heart disease. This also includes starting an exercise program. You will receive a fitness test in which they will learn about your current fitness level. The Card Rehabilitation Program will calculate your health level or MET level and show you how to improve your health safely and effectively.

When we observe any physical activity, we measure this measure in METs representing MET metabolism. MET is the unit of energy we use to calculate the level of physical activity or energy consumed. A MET is the energy that sits quietly. So if you need 3.5 METs for walking, it means your level of rest is 3.5 times yours. Golf can range from 3.5 METs to 4.5 METs, so it's important to improve your health through exercise programs.

If you have recently undergone cardiac surgery, you should visit your surgeon within 3 months to ensure that all wounds undergo a normal recovery process. When they start to heal, you can start doing some stretching exercises for golf. Please consult your cardiac rehabilitation specialist to make sure you are safe and slow to do things. This includes flexibility, aerobics and resistance training. These three are very important for you to restore your love of golf.

Aerobic exercise is the best form of exercise to improve fitness and improve heart health. Aerobic means “with oxygen”, so you use oxygen as the main fuel source to keep the movement going. This includes, depending on your fitness level, walking, brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing and more. The focus is on aerobics as it provides the basis for the activities you wish to do to play golf.

Once you have established a strong support base through aerobics, you can exercise strength/resistance training to increase your strength to handle the swing speed of your club during a golf swing.

Performing heart yoga can also increase your strength, flexibility, and develop positive mental thinking, allowing you to return to swinging your club.

To return to the golf course safely: 1. Participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program. 2. Start the aerobic exercise program. 3. Start some stretching exercises. 4. Revisit your cardiologist and/or cardiothoracic surgeon. 5. Start the strength training program. 6. Try heart yoga. 7. Start slowly. Try the driving range or the nine holes, and you will be back to normal games even better before you know.

Once you are ready to play golf, start slow. I always recommend even before picking up a club and warming up. This includes aerobic warm-up, whether it is cycling or walking for 5 minutes. The next step is to do a series of warm-up exercises. This includes stretching exercises and some dynamic warm-up exercises. Please consult a qualified cardiac rehabilitation specialist for a list of exercises that will allow you to return to golf.

Playing golf is a very popular activity. If you have heart disease, you can start playing golf again, it's important to understand your limits and continue to modify your modifiable risk factors [please read my article or blog about risk factors]. Pay attention to FORE heart disease.

Golfing after a heart attack or heart surgery was originally published on Spring