art Disease Fitness Tips

Advice from Our Expert Care Team
Keeping fit is an important part of maintaining one’s heart health.
“Exercise can be both safe and helpful for many people with heart
disease, with and without surgery,” state the authors of “Living
a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions” (Bull Publishing, 2012).
“Exercise can lower your risk for future problems, reduce the need
for hospitalization, and improve your quality of life.”
The American Heart Association suggests 150 minutes or more of “moderate-intensity
physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week”
to help prevent heart disease. Walking is one of the exercises recommended
by the AHA. You’ll find tips for what to wear when walking, how
many miles to walk, how many minutes to walk, how to stretch for walking,
and the best time of day to walk on the American Heart Association website.
Walk with a Doc is an international non-profit program that pairs local
doctors and healthcare professionals with walkers in local communities.
These informal gatherings occur on a weekly or monthly basis in parks
and other outdoor public spaces and can be a pleasant social activity too.
Examples of Beneficial Exercise
Swimming, light callisthenics, and riding a stationary bicycle are generally
considered safe conditioning activities for those with heart disease.
People tend to be more successful with their exercise regimen when they
have an accountability partner—someone who provides encouragement
and assistance to make it possible to reach goals.
Communicate with a health care provider to get the most out of an exercise
program and to ensure the safety of any new exercise regimen.
“Some heart conditions limit the kinds and amount of exercise you
do,” explain the authors of “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic
Conditions.” Poor circulation, irregular heartbeats, or severe heart
disease require that a health care provider might need to give clearance
before a person should exercise. “Always remember that if you develop
new or different symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness,
or rapid or irregular heartbeat while at rest or while exercising, you
should stop what you are doing and contact your physician.”
Contact Homewatch CareGivers® today. We’re happy to answer any questions you have regarding our caregiving services.