Looking after our hearts with physical activity

By GreaterSport | 14 February 2020 | TAGS: older adults, Valentine's day, Heart health, physical activity, Active Ageing

It’s important to look after our hearts; read Lilian’s story about how moving more helped her recovery after open heart surgery.

Lilian is a 76 year old full time nurse from Rochdale who started moving more after having open heart surgery. Following her aortic valve replacement, she was advised to do more physical activity by her doctors, so she did! She took their advice and she ran with it, signing up to the gym with Link4Life as well as starting many other activities; badminton, short tennis, table tennis, walking netball and fitness classes including a specialist cardiac session.

Lilian’s seen changes in many aspects of her life since she started moving more and now she feels great! She loves the social aspect of physical activity and has made some life-long friends through the sessions, but the benefit to her heart is what’s been most impressive in her journey. Her blood pressure has improved and her cardiac doctors are overwhelmed with the progress she has made and continues to make each day by using physical activity to help manage her condition.

With her doctors’ encouragement, she is keeping up with her physical activity, inspiring those around her as she goes. Her peers in the fitness classes are inspired and amazed by how well she’s doing and are all encouraged by her to keep going themselves.