HeartSmart is an exercise referral programme designed to improve the health and wellbeing of those diagnosed or living with a Heart Condition.

Does your heart condition hold you back from being more active?

The HeartSmart service is a programme of physical activity designed to improve the health and wellbeing of those who have been diagnosed with a heart condition following:

• A heart attack
• A bypass
• An angioplasty/stent
• or who have;
• Stable angina
• Heart failure
• A pacemaker or ICD
• Had a heart transplant

Being physically active is not about lifting heavy weights or running a marathon, it is about living an active lifestyle every day. At Mytime Active we believe that everyone has the right to a healthier active lifestyle.

• There are many benefits associated with healthy physical activity and regular exercise including:
• Improve the efficiency of the heart
• Reduce the occurrence of angina pain
• Lower blood pressure and prevent high blood pressure developing
• Lower the levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in the blood
• Increase the levels of HDL (good cholesterol) in the blood
• Help with the management and likelihood of developing diabetes

The programme consists of 12 supervised sessions and aims to provide safe, regular and effective exercise sessions to help increase your physical activity levels and improve your health and wellbeing. All the HeartSmart sessions are supervised by our Exercise Specialists who are all qualified BACPR Phase IV Exercise Instructors and members of the Register of Exercise Professionals.

If you are interested in this service, enquire with us online, contact us on 020 8290 4000 or email the Exercise Referral team at exercise.referral@mytimeactive.co.uk.

At your initial appointment you will meet one of our Exercise Specialists. They will discuss your needs and give you advice on the appropriate exercise for your medical condition and further information about the programme. Your blood pressure will be taken and you will be booked in for your first exercise session.

Continue your active lifestyle. Finishing the HeartSmart programme should make you feel more confident about continuing to exercise.

Following completion of the programme you will be signposted to a range of appropriate activities to suit you.

Your HeartSmart programme should make you feel more confident about continuing exercise.

Here are a few more ideas on how you can incorporate physical activity into your everyday life.

Go for a walk

• Do some gardening
• Walk or cycle to work or the shops
• Get off the bus prior to your normal stop or park further away and walk the rest of the distance
• Take the stairs instead of the lift
• Go swimming.