Exercising Safely After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) involves angioplasty and often stenting. After PCI it’s important to focus on your heart health. Exercise can help strengthen your heart. It can also help you feel good and improve your overall health. Talk with your healthcare provider or cardiac rehab (rehabilitation) team member about good choices for you.

• Start slowly. Work up to more moderate or vigorous exercise as you get stronger. Aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise each week.

• Include muscle-strengthening activities. Do activities to strengthen your muscles on two or more days a week that work all major muscle groups. This includes legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms. Some choices include working with resistance bands and doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance.

• Include aerobic activities. These make the heart beat faster. They work the heart and lungs. And they improve the body’s ability to use oxygen. Good choices include walking, swimming, and biking.

Always follow your healthcare provider’s advice for exercise. Consider starting your exercise under the direction of a cardiac rehab program.