I had a dvt in 2001 after returning from a trip to london (long airplane ride). I was put in the hospital overnight to get the anticoagulants going, then released to home with a prescription for coumadin and instructions not to go to work for another 2-3 weeks. I was told to stay off my feet "as much as possible" but I don't remember being told to stay in bed all the time. I would guess moderation is the key, because if a patient who has a blood clot gets too active too quickly, the clot itself may detach and travel through the vessels to the lungs or heart. They want it to dissolve slowly without any big clumps detaching at once.