Heart failure is a chronic condition characterized by the inability of your heart to pump sufficient amounts of blood to your body. Potential consequences of the condition include fluid buildup in your lungs and liver and subsequent reduced function in those organs. You can help offset the effects of heart failure with an exercise-based program called cardiac rehabilitation.
Heart Failure Basics
Heart failure most commonly occurs when coronary artery disease results in an abnormal narrowing of the vessels that supply your heart with blood and oxygen, according to MedlinePlus, the website from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. You can also develop the condition from a variety of other underlying causes, including heart attack, heart valve malfunctions and a weakening of your heart muscle called cardiomyopathy. If your heart doesn't pump out blood properly, you have a form of the disorder called systolic heart failure. If your heart is too stiff to easily fill with blood, you have another form of the disorder called diastolic heart failure.
Cardiac Rehabilitation Basics
A cardiac rehabilitation program helps you increase your level of physical activity and learn how to exercise safely, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Your doctor may recommend you participate in a program of this type if you have heart failure. Typically, before you begin a program, your doctor or rehabilitation specialist will assess your current state of health with heart-related testing, a physical exam and medical history. Your doctor will also assess your usual level of physical activity throughout the various phases of your everyday routine.
Activity Modification
In the initial stages of cardiac rehabilitation, your doctor will help you increase your activity level by slightly modifying your regular routine. Potential modifications include walking for a few minutes during your lunch break, going out of your way to climb a flight of stairs and purposefully parking further from the entrance to your workplace or other building entrances. Your doctor and rehabilitation specialist will also help you design a program of specific exercises that can help you improve your condition in the easiest manner possible.
Common Exercises
The NHLBI lists potential components of rehabilitative cardiac exercise that include aerobic exercises such as rowing, walking or cycling and muscle-strengthening exercises such as resistance band training or weightlifting. Typically, you will need to get 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five days per week. You will need to perform muscle-strengthening exercises two or three times per week. Be aware that not all exercises are suitable for all heart failure patients. Your doctor and rehabilitation specialist will work to ensure that your particular program does not exceed your current capabilities or endanger your health in any way.
Considerations
Additional components of cardiac rehabilitation include adoption of a healthy diet and improvement of your emotional well-being, the NHLBI notes. If you don't have access to an official rehabilitation program, your doctor can still help you plan and implement an appropriate exercise program. Ask your doctor about the options available to you.
