The National Academy on an Aging Society estimates that nearly 18 million people---7 percent of all Americans---live with heart disease. If you have a heart problem, exercise can improve your chances for survival provided that you take certain precautions. Exercise can reduce the intensity of your cardiac symptoms and lessen the depression that often accompanies heart disease.
History
Before the 1950's, doctors cautioned heart patients to avoid physical exertion. In the 1992 "Yale University School of Medicine Heart Book," Dr. Barry L. Zaret describes the anti-exercise advice doctors gave to heart patients: "The heart attack survivor was told that from now on, he or she would have to 'take it easy.' Treatment usually consisted of weeks of bed rest."
Benefits
Contrary to past medical beliefs, exercise is beneficial to heart patients. A survey of multiple studies of heart disease and exercise titled "Exercise Training for Heart Failure Patients," published by Dr. Neil Smart in a September 2010 issue of "Cardiac Research and Practice" reveals that exercise training programs for heart patients that lasted at least 28 weeks reduced the number of deaths and hospitalizations by 11 percent, improved heart functioning and increased patients' quality of life.
Severe Heart Problems
If you have recently had a heart attack, heart surgery or procedures such as stenting and angioplasty, the first exercise precaution you should take is to enroll in a cardiac rehabilitation program. Cardiac rehabilitation staffs consist of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, counselors and dietitians who work together to create a personalized diet and exercise plan that is safe for you. The Cleveland Clinic's "How to Choose a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program" provides a checklist of questions to ask the staff of a cardiac rehabilitation program before signing up.
Mild Heart Problems
If your heart condition is mild, you may wish to explore exercise programs that are recommended for heart patients and review the exercise precautions that they suggest. For example, a National Heart Lung and Blood Institute article titled "The Virtual Fitness Room" recommends brisk walking, swimming, jogging, playing tennis or bicycling for 30 minutes a day, three or four times per week. Suggested exercise precautions include talking with your doctor before starting an exercise program; being alert to heart malfunction signs such as chest pain, faintness and breathing difficulties during exercise; and starting an exercise program with a low to moderate activity level.
Additional Precautions
Consider buying and wearing a medical alert bracelet, necklace, key ring, dog tag or wallet card. If you have a heart attack while exercising and cannot speak, a medical alert item has important information engraved on it, such as the name of your medical condition and a phone number that emergency medical technicians can call to get your medical history. If your doctor has prescribed medication, such as nitroglycerin tablets, to take when you feel heart pain, be sure to carry it with you whenever you exercise. Wear a heart rate watch and use it to make sure that your exercise session is not stressing your heart.
References
- "Yale University School of Medicine Heart Book": Barry L. Zaret, M.D., et al.; 1992
- National Academy on an Aging Society: Heart Disease
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: The Virtual Fitness Room
- National Institutes of Health: Your Guide To Living Well With Heart Disease
- "Cardiology Research and Practice"; Exercise Training for Heart Failure Patients; Neil Smart; 2010
- Cleveland Clinic: How to Choose a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
