“Do what you can with a happy heart”: a longitudinal study of patient and family members’ lived experiences of physical activity post-myocardial infarction

Abstract

Purpose

Physical activity (PA) post-myocardial infarction (MI) can reduce risk of reoccurrence and mortality. Yet uptake of PA through cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is poor, and little is known about the long-term PA behaviour of cardiac patients. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of patients’ engagement with PA post-MI, together with the experiences of their family.

Methods

Longitudinal interviews with six family-dyads were conducted which drew on interpretative phenomenology to understand the lived experiences of PA for post-MI patients and family members.

Results

Participants described a journey that involved leaving “normality” (doing what PA they wanted and when) and transitioning to a new “normality” (being active within post-MI parameters). This journey was expressed through feelings of “I can’t do what I was doing before,” “finding my way,” and “accepting this way”.

Conclusion

The role of family within the patient’s journey was complex, with PA identity, beliefs, and fear of MI re-occurrence influencing PA support both positively and negatively. PA engagement post-MI is a dynamic and interactive process within which the family can have an important influence.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• The process of (re-)engaging in physical activity post-myocardial infarction involves a complex journey towards acceptance of a new “normality”.

• Family play an important role in regulating and supporting patients’ physical activity during the rehabilitation process.

• Promoting positive health beliefs and helping families understand what, how and when patients should be physically active may optimise the rehabilitation journey for post-myocardial infarction patients.

Keywords:

• Qualitative
• interpretative phenomenological analysis
• cardiac rehabilitation
• physical activity
• behaviour change

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend their thanks to Liverpool John Moores University who funded the research through a University scholarship awarded to [SB]. Further, the authors express their thanks to all of the participants who took their time to take part in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so support data is not available.