Self-management and Theory-based Rehabilitation Encouraging New Gateways to Healthy-Hearts

During their maintenance stage cardiac rehabilitation programme, participants will be given a pedometer and asked to wear it during waking hours to record their daily step counts and/or time in physical activity each week. Participants will be encouraged to gradually achieve 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week and self-monitor their progress using the pedometer. At the end of every week, participants will review progress and set goals with an exercise professional. Group discussions will also take place, focusing on the benefits of regular physical activity, demonstrating lifestyle activities that can help accumulate activity and identifying various means of social support, and identifying local opportunities (groups or places) for physical activity after the cardiac rehabilitation programme has ended. Following this, they will receive a monthly phone call from the exercise professional to check progress and encourage them to continue with the programme.