What is CABG?

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), often called "bypass surgery", is an operation used to improve blood flow to the heart when the coronary arteries have become significantly narrowed or blocked. A healthy blood vessel — usually taken from elsewhere in the body — is used to create a new pathway for blood to travel around the blockage.

Unlike a stent procedure, which is performed through a catheter, CABG involves surgery to the chest and heart, meaning recovery is generally more extensive and occurs over a longer period.

Why exercise matters after bypass surgery

Recovering from bypass surgery can feel like a significant adjustment, both physically and emotionally. It's completely normal to have questions about what's safe and how quickly you should return to activity — particularly when recovering from major surgery.

When introduced appropriately and with medical guidance, exercise is a well-established part of recovery after CABG. It can help:

• Rebuild aerobic fitness and exercise tolerance

• Improve muscle strength and support everyday activities

• Develop confidence with movement

• Support the management of cardiovascular risk factors

• Build sustainable habits for long-term heart health

Recovery looks different for everyone. Your starting point and progression should reflect your health, symptoms and your surgical team's advice.

How do you get started?

Walking is often one of the first forms of exercise introduced during recovery — but it isn't the only option from early on.

Starting with short, comfortable walks and gradually increasing duration can help you rebuild your tolerance for activity. You might find it helpful to:

• Break activity into shorter sessions throughout the day

• Increase duration before increasing pace

• Allow time for rest and recovery between sessions

• Adjust activity according to symptoms and your clinical team's guidance

There is no single timeline that suits everyone.

Alongside walking, light resistance movements can often be introduced early. Simple exercises such as seated leg raises, calf raises or light upper-body movements may be appropriate sooner than many people expect. Early resistance work — even at very low loads — helps preserve muscle mass and functional strength during a period when the body is at risk of deconditioning.

Moving while your sternum heals

If your surgery involved dividing your breastbone (sternum), you may feel unsure about using your arms or upper body. The aim is not necessarily to avoid all upper-body movement — appropriate movement and loading can be progressed with guidance as your sternum heals.

One practical approach used in cardiac rehabilitation is called Move in the Tube. The principle is simple: when lifting, pushing or pulling, keep your upper arms closer to your sides rather than reaching away from your body. This shortens the lever arm and reduces the forces placed across your healing sternum.

A few examples:

• When standing from a chair, try to use your leg strength rather than pushing through your arms. If you do need your hands, keep your elbows close to your body

• When lifting a light object, hold it close to your torso rather than reaching out

• Use both arms together where possible, distributing the load evenly across the chest

• Start with light loads, move slowly and avoid sudden or forceful movements early in recovery

When can you return to strength training?

Strength training can help rebuild the capacity needed for daily activities — but the timing and type of exercise matter.

Prolonged inactivity accelerates muscle loss (sarcopenia), which can make everyday tasks harder and slow your return to full function. For this reason, light resistance movements are often introduced early, even while sternal healing is ongoing.

Your program should progress according to your healing, symptoms, current capacity and clinical guidance. You do not necessarily need to avoid all arm exercises until your sternum is fully healed — the appropriate approach depends on your individual recovery and the guidance of your surgical team.

Avoid rushing back to previous weights or training routines simply because you feel better. Recovery of energy and fitness doesn't always mean the underlying tissues have finished healing.

How CardioCare supports your recovery

Your recovery doesn't end when you leave hospital. As your healing progresses, exercise physiology can help you work towards the activities and goals that matter to you.

At CardioCare Clinic, your exercise program is tailored to your medical history, current fitness, symptoms and stage of recovery. We can help you:

• Gradually rebuild your aerobic fitness and exercise tolerance.

• Improve strength for everyday activities.

• Develop confidence returning to movement.

• Understand how to progress exercise appropriately.

• Build sustainable habits that support your long-term cardiovascular health.

Whether you're transitioning from hospital-based rehabilitation or looking for ongoing support with exercise, we'll work with you to establish an appropriate starting point and progress at a pace that suits your recovery.

We offer this support through 1:1 Exercise Physiology, Cardiac Rehabilitation, or small group classes — whichever suits where you are right now. Appointments are available in Bondi Junction, Sydney and via telehealth across Australia.

Had a stent instead of bypass surgery? Recovery follows a different pattern — see our guides to Exercise After a Stent or Exercise After a Heart Attack.

*The information on this page is general health information only. It doesn't replace the specific advice given to you by your own doctor, cardiologist or cardiac rehabilitation team, who know your individual situation.