Cardiac Rehab Level 1

You should only use this video if you are on the Solent NHS Cardiac Rehabilitation programme and have been assessed by one of the team.

Here is your level 1 Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Video it contains:
15 minute warm up
10 min interval Cardiovascular/Active Recovery
10 minute cool down

*Please remember you can skip to the cool down section at any point in your workout if you are tired or feel you have done enough.


You should have read and listened to all the safety information provided, here's a brief reminder.

Before exercise:

Ensure you have been taking your medication as usual regularly
Have your GTN spray/Inhalers (if prescribed to you) near you
Do not eat a large meal before exercising (leave around 2 hours)
Make sure you are not on antibiotics for any active infections
Do not drink alcohol or take recreational drugs before exercising
Make sure your condition is stable and you haven't had any new symptoms
If you are a diabetic make sure your blood sugars are well controlled
If you take a drug called Warfarin you should be at your therapeutic level
You should feel well and rested
You should wear comfortable clothing
You should be in a room with space for a few steps in each direction
You should open a window for air if required
You should have a glass of water nearby and take small sips throughout

You should not use the video and exercise today if:

You have chest pain at rest (Please see our chest pain protocol below)
You have a temperature or are unwell
Your heart rate feels irregular and this is not normal for you

The Exercise

Warm up
Prepare body
Gradual increase in effort accross 15 minutes
Improve blood flow to heart and working muscles

Cardiovascular/Active Recovery
Increase strength and tone of muscles and heart over a period of time
In time you will be able to work faster and harder as you get fitter
Active recovery to provide partial recovery

Cool Down
Bring heart rate and blood pressure back down to resting levels
Safe and gradual reduction in effort
Helps prevent dizziness
Stretches can improve flexibility and balance and reduce muscle soreness

Exercise Effort or Intensity
You should use a BORG scale (will have been provided)
You can try to take your heart rate
You should have been given a target heart rate training zone

Normal Responses to Exercise (Moderate intensity) - will vary but usually;
You may feel slightly sweaty
You will feel warm or slightly flushed
You will be breathing deeper and faster, but can still talk
Your heart rate will be faster

Indications you need to slow down and make less effort;
You feel very tired and are sweating more than usual
Your breathing becomes uncomfortable
Your perceived exertion score (BORG) is higher than 14/15

If your BORG doesn’t reduce when you have slowed down, walk on the spot slowly. If you are still having problems after a couple of minutes, stop and sit down.

Indications you should STOP and sit down and not resume exercise today;
You have chest pain (Please see the chest pain protocol below)
You feel dizzy
-Your heart beat becomes unusually irregular

The three points above are abnormal responses to exercise and could be due to overexertion. You should discuss any of these responses with your cardiac rehabilitation team before you attempt to exercise at this level again.

Chest pain
Chest pain can be caused by anything from muscle pain to angina or a heart attack and should never be ignored.

Chest pain could be angina if it:
feels tight, dull or heavy – although some people (especially women) may have sharp, stabbing pain
-spreads to your left arm, neck, jaw or back
-is triggered by physical exertion or stress
-stops within a few minutes of resting

How to use your GTN spray if you are prescribed one and you get chest pain:
Stop what you are doing, sit down and rest
Do one spray of your GTN under your tongue
Wait 5 minutes, if the pain has not resolved, do another spray of GTN under your tongue
Wait a further 5 minutes and if the pain has not resolved call 999

If in this time you feel very unwell, sweaty, clammy, nauseas do not wait 15 minutes, call 999.

When to get help for chest pain
You should call 999 for an ambulance immediately if you develop sudden severe chest pain, particularly if:
The pain feels heavy, pressing or tight
It lasts longer than 15 minutes
It spreads to other parts of your body, such as your arms, back or jaw
You have other symptoms, such as breathlessness, nausea, sweating, or coughing up blood



If the discomfort is only minor or has resolved, it may be more appropriate to either:

• speak to your GP

• call the 111 service

Remember to make sure GTN spray is in date and to order a new one in plenty of time before it expires.