Exercise
I was educated by a couple of London Welsh rugby players (Jones and Davies) who had little time for a pupil with glasses, asthma and not much interest in rugby! Consequently I took little exercise… until the heart attack suggested this was a bad idea.
There is no need to go for excessive fitness because excessive fitness is no protection against heart disease. Douglas Adams died during a visit to the gym.
One purpose of exercise is psychological - to feel that you are not helpless in the face of illness.
Some exercise, preferably not involving any "dressing up" or special preparation, is a good protection against angina. Angina is brought on by exertion so having no exercise will simply mean that the angina is triggered sooner.
A statement made by the nurse/physiotherapist (Jackie) at Crawley interested me. Addressing her group, of which I was the youngest, she said, "If you think it's going to hurt, stop doing it." The exact opposite of the attitude of Messrs Jones and Davies - and indeed an awful lot of PE teachers!
I started with a small but sustainable exercise program and built up slowly on that. During one of our discussions at Crawley hospital one of the group asked "what about sex?" and without batting an eyelid one of the nurses responded, "so long as it lasts about thirty minutes and it is not competitive."
