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Exercise for people with heart problems
(by Paul Kuck,
this article was published on Ezyhealth Website)
In the past, people with heart
disease were told to avoid all forms of exercise. But many recent studies have found that
exercise plays an important role in the prevention and rehabilitation of many types of
heart disease. Exercise can have a positive influence on many of the factors that increase
the risk for heart disease such as hypertension, stress, high cholesterol levels,
diabetes, and obesity.
Starting an exercise programme
If you
have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, you should consult a physician before
beginning an exercise programme. You should have a complete medical examination and take
an electrocardiogram stress test. Once you have medical clearance, it is important to
consult with a qualified health professional who can prescribe a safe and effective
exercise programme to meet your specific needs.
Exercise
guidelines
- Get someone to supervise your exercise
programme.
Immediately report any problems
and potential complications to your physician
- If you recently had a heart attack or
a heart operation, you must get medical clearance and guidelines from a physician before
increasing your exercise intensity level. Make sure to stay within the recommended
intensity.
- Educate yourself and your family on
prevention so as to minimise the likelihood of another incident.
- If you have not had a heart problem
and you are more interested in preventing them, you should set realistic goals. Check with
your physician first, and then begin your exercise programme slowly. Start off by working
on your cardiovascular endurance, then gradually add a weight-training programme.
- Aim to exercise at least three or four
times a week.
- Inform your physician if you
experience any chest pain, light-headedness, weakness, difficulty breathing, or extreme
fatigue before, during, or after exercise.
- You should never exercise to the point
of getting chest pain. Always keep your exercise at a comfortable pace. If it is causing
discomfort, slow down; you are pushing too hard.
- Be sure you understand the effect of
any medication you may be taking on exercise. Several heart medications affect heart rate
and blood pressure during exercise.
- Drink plenty of water before, during,
and after exercise.
Areobic Exercises
- Aerobic exercise is of utmost
importance in regaining cardiovascular fitness after an incident of heart failure and to
prevent further heart disease
- Choose one or two enjoyable aerobic
exercises that elevate your heart rate. Aerobic exercises include walking, jogging,
swimming, stair climbing, and cycling. Walking is the preferred exercise for most people
because it is easy to do and it does not require an expensive gym membership (you might
want to invest in a pair of good sports walking shoes, though). Walking can be more fun if
you have a companion to walk with.
- Exercise three to five times a week.
For a beginner, ten- to twenty-minute sessions at a low or moderate intensity will be
sufficient. As you become fitter, you can gradually increase the length of your sessions
to 30 or 45 minutes.
- Start each exercise session at a slow
pace. For example, even if you are fit enough for brisk walking, you should still start
off with five minutes of slow walking to give your body time to warm up and to get used to
the activity.
- Continue your walk at a comfortable
pace that is within your prescribed exercise intensity.
- Then slow down for the last three to
five minutes to allow the blood to return from the working muscles to the heart and for
your body to return to its resting state.
Muscular fitness
Ask your physician if you can perform
strength exercises. For some patients with more serious heart problems like congestive
heart failure, uncontrolled arrhythmia, or significant left ventricular dysfunction,
strength exercise should generally be avoided.
- If you have not had a heart attack,
weight training can be part of your exercise regimen from the beginning. However, make
sure that you have taken all the necessary precautions described in Exercise guidelines,
above, before you start.
- Strength training can be done with
weights or just by using your own body as the weight. Choose exercises that target the
major muscles in the legs, chest, back, and shoulders. For weight training, you can do
bench presses, squats, rows, and shoulder presses. For body-weight exercises, you can do
squats, push-ups, chin-ups, and crunches.
- Perform these exercises every other
day, up to twice to three times a week.
- All exercises must be performed slowly
and deliberately.
- Begin with one set of 20 repetitions
of each exercise with a light weight to warm up the target muscles.
- Finally, perform to two to three sets of 12
to15 repetitions per exercise with heavier weights.
Flexibility, balance, and mobility
- Stretching exercises increase your
flexibility, enhance your posture, and help you gain confidence in balance and mobility.
Stretching also reduces the risk of injury
- Do not stretch when your body is cold.
Stretch only after you have warmed up, for example, with a walk.
- Stretch all the major muscles in your
legs, chest, back, and shoulders. These exercises should be performed daily or at least
four times per week.
- Stretch until you can feel a slight
sensation in the target muscle, but not to the point where you feel pain. Hold each
stretch for 10 to 30 seconds – and you should not bounce.
- Repeat the process until you have
stretched your whole body.
It is never too late to increase your physical activity or to start
an exercise programme. But remember to get the green light and some guidelines from your
physician before you start.
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