Immediately after heart surgery, there tends to be a strong desire among owners to keep the patient at rest. While it is true that strenuous exercise, such as chasing a ball after surgery, is not a good idea, there is often no need to restrict activities in the house in general.
Criterion
- Stay in the house for about a week after discharge from the hospital (No restrictions on exercise within the home)
- 2-4 weeks after surgery: Take a short walk around home
- After four weeks: Return to the original amount of walking
- Appropriate walking time and distance vary from person to person.