Iowa CHAMPS: Cardiac Rehabilitation Guide: Exercise
Exercise to a Healthier Heart
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed
First Published: Unknown
Last Revised: October 2004
Why Exercise is Important
You may already have been treated for coronary artery disease (CAD), the narrowing of the arteries that supply oxygen rich blood to the heart, or have been told that you are at risk for developing CAD. No doubt you are concerned about finding ways to improve the health of your heart. A number of risk factors contribute to the likelihood of developing CAD. One risk factor is a sedentary lifestyle and a major preventive measure is to exercise. Fortunately, a cardiac rehabilitation program can safely help get you started on an exercise program. Your doctor can advise you about starting a program while you are in the hospital (Inpatient Phase), after your discharge (Outpatient Phase), or beginning a program in your community.
The Benefits of Exercise
Exercise offers both psychological and physical benefits:
- Helps your heart and lungs work more efficiently. In time, you will have a lower resting heart rate and blood pressure, and your cardiovascular system will not be as physically stressed.
- Builds your stamina for other physical activities at work, leisure, or at home.
- Assists you in handling stress and depression.
- Improves your sense of well-being.
- Improves your quality of sleep.
- Improves your mental sharpness and energy state.
- Aids in your weight management by burning calories, reducing fat stores, increasing muscle mass and decreasing appetite. An added advantage of increasing your muscle mass is that calories are burned more readily.
- Increases your insulin sensitivity, thereby improving blood glucose tolerance.
- Provides a constructive way of utilizing your time, especially when you are trying to change lifestyle patterns such as smoking.
- Improves your quality of life. This means exercise can actually improve your day-to-day life so that you can pack more activity and productivity into every day and feel good doing it.
The Best Type of Exercise
Fitness means a healthy balance between body composition, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. Cardiovascular endurance is primarily achieved by doing aerobic forms of activities. The term aerobic means the body uses oxygen to produce the energy needed for the activity. This form of exercise is continuous, long lasting, rhythmic and repetitive, and involving large muscle groups.
Examples:
- brisk walking
- jogging
- bicycling
- swimming
- cross country skiing
- hiking
- canoeing
- stationary cycling
- dancing
- (aerobic) dance
- jumping rope
- rowing
- elliptical training
Resistive exercise or activities that are short in duration (less than 10 minutes) and of high intensity, are considered anaerobic. This is not a desired way of improving cardiovascular endurance. Their emphasis is in developing speed and strength. Examples include weigh/lifting, racquet sports and basketball.
The best fitness programs combine elements of both endurance and
strength.
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