It is like someone holding your hand when you need it - lived experiences of patients with cardiovascular disease participating in a digital health intervention focusing on the maintenance of physical activity after cardiac rehabilitation.

From a patient perspective, the text message intervention in the feasibility trial FAIR was valuable to support the maintenance of physical activity in the transition from a supervised exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme to everyday life on an individual basis. Participants experienced the intervention to hold their hands in changing behaviour and redefining themselves. Yet, there is an extended need for belonging and personal interactions in future interventions.