You just have to start doing it really slowly, a little at a time so you can build up your strength. When I got home from the hospital, I would just try to walk around the yard at first, or to and from the garage. I'd do that a few times a day the week I was first home. Then you just work yourself up. Also, just starting to do minor tasks and chores around the house can be exercise. I have a two story home so I was taking the stairs a few times a day. The worst part was the DVT because it was so painful when I got home but that improved. I also started with an exercise bike as I got some of my stamina back. Walking and swimming are good too.

So, I don't think your docs mean all out exercise but just activity, don't lay around too much. If not sure what to do though, defer to your doctor.

I was really bad at getting any exercise early on. For a while, even walking to the mailbox to get the mail was about all I could manage. However, I wish I had been more aggressive about being active, even if it was just walking around the block every day.

What I've found is that the longer you sit, the harder it is to get moving again. I really babied myself for a long time. As a result, I was 2-3 years into recovery and in terrible shape because I just hadn't done any exercise at all other than walking around the grocery store. I've been working to reverse that, but it is taking a while. I went hiking over the 4th at 11,000 feet and did pretty well. Still a little bit of huffing and puffing, but SO much better than I was!

So, I have to agree with RMB. Even if you can only do a little bit, do that and slowly start to work your way up.

It does get better ... it just usually takes longer than we want it to.

I started off by walking. At first it was down the block and then within a couple of weeks I had improved to walking 1/2 mile and then a mile and finally 2 miles. Within a couple of months I felt recovered. However, the only exercise I was doing was walking. At the five month mark I finally tried the gym and it was like starting over. I couldn't believe how hard it was to breathe when doing basic exercises. My heart rate would also sky rocket. I couldn't jog more than 15 seconds at a time. The good news was that I just took it slow and kept doing what I could. Within about 4 months, I was jogging 4 miles and in the best shape I had been in in the last 10 years.

So take it slow and try not to be discouraged. Good luck!

moonmarked, I asked my doctor the same question after I got diagnosed 5 weeks ago. He said walking and swimming, nothing strenuous. I have been walking slow since day 1 of my diagnosis. At first, it was going around in circles in our parking lot. On each lap, I would sit down and rest my leg. Then I slowly increased it til I got to about 8 laps per session twice a day. Then I managed to walk to the community pool, which is 0.5 miles out. Had to rest when I got there. I have been increasing by no more than 10% each week, just like I used to do when I was running. It is a slow process. What I learned is that my form has gotten better. It is amazing how starting back from scratch is like learning to walk again. Just concentrate on proper form. My next goal is to go back to swimming. At first, it will be walking in the pool for laps. Then I plan to learn to swim again using techniques like Total Immersion. Before my DVT, I ignored my form and just swam lots of laps. This time, I will concentrate on form and be a better swimmer. Eventually, I will be back to running, swimming, and hitting the gym just like I did before my DVT. However, this time, it will be in the proper form. Oh and by the way, I just told my friend and will be telling my brother that I am picking up golf. My friend is estatic. I have all the equipment in the garage waiting for the time that I decide to stop running. It is hard to give it up but I always knew that I will need to find an alternative to running at some point. This DVT has made my decision easy.
Sorry for the long post. Bottomline, take it slow. Listen to your body. Don't ignore any pain, if any. Turn the exercise into mini goals, mini habits. You'll come out ahead before you know it. But always check with your doctor. Goodluck. Let us know what you end up doing.

Daffnae, you are an inspiration. Thanks for sharing your exercise success!

I got my first blood clot in 2002. My husband and I used to walk every night about 2 1/2 miles around the neighborhood. A few days after discovering the clot I put on my exercise clothes and sneakers and got ready for a walk. Well, I barely made it to the next door neighbor's house which was just a few steps away from my own.
Long story short, I am 66 years old and had a second clot nearly two years ago and I am back to walking as far and as long as I used to.
It just takes time!

You can definitely get there! Just like everyone else has said...take it very slowly and don't be upset if you can't do that much that day. In my early days, it was a struggle just to get from the hospital bed to the showers and bathe myself (all while sitting down).

Eventually I started hobbling to the gym and doing exercises that allowed me to keep my legs elevated. That way I increased my heart rate, but wasn't getting massive swelling. Slowly I increased to walking on a treadmill...and even though the pain was sometimes MIND NUMBING...I started to run slowly slowly.

Six months after I was told I'd probably never run again, I ran a half marathon. I'm currently training for the NYC marathon here. My DVT was particularly severe so I've started a blog to try to teach people about my experiences and what I wish I had known. :)

http://fightdvt.com/

today 21 days since I was released from the hospital. I'm finding I can walk further now, my heart rate has finally dropped to closer to normal. I'm using exercise cords to slowly rebuild upper body strength and walking distances as tolerated. In effect I have been pretty much limited in exercise for the first 6 months of this year, the issue which caused the DVT kept my hemoglobin at 9.5 and I felt horrible. so I'm finding out exactly how much muscle I lost and have to rebuild now that I am actually feeling healthy again. I get tired easily, I do to much and pay with swelling and pain.. but I get up and do it again the next day