If you suffer from heart disease, your doctor may recommend getting exercise in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. There may be some limitations that your doctor has on your physical activity. He may refer you to a personal trainer in order to get the most out of your workout and to assure you are doing each movement correctly. Always follow the advice of your physician before embarking on any exercise program.
Causes
There are several types of heart disease but there are many things that can lead to a heart attack or heart-related condition. Age is one factor. As you age, your risk for developing heart disease increases. If you have a family history of heart disease or have a close relative that died from heart disease, you also have an increased risk. If you have already had a stroke or previous heart attack, you are at a greater risk for heart attack or stroke within five years. Smoking tobacco, a sedentary lifestyle and having high blood pressure and cholesterol are also risk factors and causes for heart disease. Establishing a personal training plan can help reduce your risk.
Types
After a complete physical and medical evaluation, your physician may recommend exercise through a personal trainer. Two of the main types of personal training plans for a heart disease patient include aerobic exercise and resistance training. For a healthy adult, 30 minutes of exercise per day up to five days a week is recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. Aerobic activity will be coached and monitored by your personal trainer. He may recommend walking on the treadmill, stair climber, bike or step aerobics. In addition to the aerobic activity he may suggest resistance training with stretch bands. This is a low-impact way to increase flexibility and build and tone muscles in the body without straining the heart.
Treatment
If you are rehabilitating your heart, you may be working with three key people in addition to your physician or cardiologist: a cardiac rehabilitation specialist, exercise physiologist and personal trainer. It is important to follow their directions closely to get the most of your personal training experience. It may take several weeks before you are able to engage in rigorous aerobic activity so be patient.
Effect
A personal trainer will be able to coach you on the right movements and make sure you exercise for the correct amount of time. The personal trainer will focus on three key components throughout the exercise program: frequency, intensity and duration of each workout. All of this information will be recorded and sent directly to your physician. Your personal trainer will work closely with the rest of your cardiac rehabilitation team to assure your exercise is carried out in a safe and efficient manner.
Warnings
Living with heart disease can be challenging. Your disease may get better or worse as time goes by. It is important to note any sudden physical changes to your personal trainer. This includes chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, wheezing or anxiety. These symptoms could be a sign that your condition is worsening or needs attention.
