Why should I exercise? Regular exercise has many benefits. Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, can: Strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system Reduce heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure and being overweight Improve your circulation and help the body use oxygen better Improve your heart failure symptoms Help increase energy levels so you can do more activities without becoming tired or short of breath Improve muscle tone and strength Improve balance and joint flexibility Strengthen bones Help reduce body fat and help you reach a healthy weight Help reduce stress, tension, anxiety and depression Boost self-image and self-esteem Improve sleep Help you feel more relaxed and rested Help you look fit and feel healthy Talk to your health care provider first Always check with your doctor or nurse first before starting an exercise program. Your doctor or nurse can help you find a program that matches your level of fitness and physical condition. Here are some questions to ask How much exercise can I do each day? How often can I exercise each week? What type of exercise should I do? What type of activities should I avoid? Should I take my medication(s) at a certain time around my exercise schedule? Do I have to take my pulse while exercising? Cardiac rehabilitation Your doctor or nurse may encourage you to participate in the hospital’s cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) program. A cardiac rehab program is designed to help you exercise safely and maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle. The program generally includes: A tailored exercise program Education Changing risk factors (such as quitting smoking and changing your diet) What type of exercise is best? Exercise can be divided into three basic types: 1. Flexibility (and warm-up): Slow lengthening of the muscles. Stretching the arms and legs before and after exercising helps prepare the muscles for activity and helps prevent injury and muscle strain. Flexibility exercises include stretching, tai chi and yoga. These exercises allow you to have better balance, a better range of motion, and keep your joints flexible. 2. Cardiovascular or aerobic: Steady physical activity using large muscle groups. This type of exercise strengthens the heart and lungs and improves the body’s ability to use oxygen. Aerobic exercises include: walking, jogging, jumping rope, bicycling (stationary or outdoor), cross-country skiing, skating, rowing, and low-impact aerobics or water aerobics. 3. Strengthening: Repeated muscle contractions (tightening) until the muscle becomes tired.Strength Training involves lifting weights or using resistance (resistance tubing or bands, for example) to strengthen the skeletal muscles. How often should I exercise? In general, to achieve maximum benefits from exercise, you should gradually work up to an aerobic session that lasts 20 to 30 minutes, at least 5 times a week. What should I include in my program? Every exercise session should include a warm-up, conditioning phase and a cool-down. The warm-up (five minutes) helps your by adjust slowly from rest to exercise. A warm-up reduces the stress on your heart and muscles, slowing increases your breathing, circulation (heart rate) and body temperature. It also helps improve flexibility and reduce muscle soreness. The best warm-up includes stretching, range of motion activities and the beginning of the activity at a low intensity level. The conditioning phase (20-30 minutes) follows up the warm-up. During this phase, the benefits of exercise are gained and calories are burned. During the conditioning phase, you should monitor the intensity of the activity. The intensity is how hard you are exercising. Over time, you can work on increasing the duration of the activity. The duration is how long you exercise during one session. The cool-down phase (5 minutes) is the last phase of your exercise session. It allows your body to gradually recover from the conditioning phase. Your heart rate and blood pressure will return to near resting values. Cool-down does not mean to sit down! In fact, do not sit, stand still or lie down right after exercise. This may cause you to feel dizzy, lightheaded or have heart palpitations (fluttering in your chest). The best cool-down is to slowly decrease the intensity of your activity. You may also do some of the same stretching activities you did in the warm-up phase. General exercise guidelines Wait at least 90 minutes after eating a meal before aerobic exercise. Gradually increase your activity level, especially if you have not been exercising regularly. Remember to have fun! Choose an activity that you enjoy — exercising should be fun and not a chore. You’ll be more likely to stick with an exercise program if you enjoy the activity. Here are some questions you can think about before choosing a routine: What physical activities do I enjoy? Do I prefer group or individual activities? What programs best fit my schedule? Do I have physical conditions that limit my choice of exercise? What goals do I have in mind? (losing weight, strengthening muscles or improving flexibility, for example) Warm up. Take time to include a 5- minute warm-up, including stretching exercises, before any aerobic activity. Cool down. Include a 5-minute cool down after the activity. Stretching can be done while standing or sitting. When drinking liquids during exercise, remember to follow your fluid restriction guidelines. Dress for the weather conditions and wear protective footwear. Schedule exercise into your daily routine. Plan to exercise at the same time every day (such as in the mornings when you have more energy). Add a variety of exercises so that you do not get bored. Exercise at a steady pace that is effective. Exercise does not have to put a strain on your wallet. Think twice before buying expensive equipment or health club memberships unless you are certain you will use them regularly. There are plenty of other activities that can be done with no extra cost to you (e.g., walking). Stick with it. If you exercise regularly, it will soon become part of your lifestyle. Make exercise a lifetime commitment. Finding an exercise buddy will also help you stay motivated. Keep an exercise record. This will allow you to see your progress.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 22:33:09 +0000
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