Benefits of Exercise
Before beginning any exercise program, consult with your physician.
People with health problems need proper guidance. In general, being active helps heart failure patients stay healthier and feel better.
It may not mean running and working up a sweat. Each patient needs frequent assessment and guidance as to recommended activity levels.
Before Exercising
Planning your exercise program must fit your individual needs, what you are able to do and what you like to do.
There are two things to remember in designing your own activity schedule.
- You should have been cleared by your doctor to engage in a particular form of an exercise.
- Focus on lower intensity, longer duration efforts.
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Benefits of Exercise
- Improves blood circulation throughout the body The lungs, heart and other body organs and muscles work together more effectively
- Tones the muscles to prevent muscle wasting or loss of muscle tone
- When you do not use a certain muscle, it gets weak and lazy. Then it hurts when you try to use it. Your legs are the best example. If you do not walk enough, then it hurts to walk.
- Improves body's ability to use oxygen and provides the energy needed for physical activity. The most common complaint we hear from people with heart failure is that they often feel tired. Sometimes that is because the heart just can not pump enough blood out to feed the needs of the body. But, some of that exhausted feeling may be because the muscles are out of shape.
- Increase lung capacity by doing deep breathing exercise. The lungs have to be exercised just like the muscles of your legs. There are muscles all around your lungs that pull them open to draw in each breath you take. Deep breaths exercise and stretch those muscles.
- Help people handle stress, so they can do more and not tire easily
- Doing something physical sometimes makes people feel calmer and more cheerful.
- Relieves tension and promotes relaxation and sleep
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Things To Remember
- Together with exercise, a person with heart failure must also have periods of rest in between activities.
- If you feel tired during your exercise, stop and rest.
- If you are tired the next day, decrease your activities.
- After resting, your heart will pump more effectively for the next activity.
- Resting after meals is also a good idea because the body uses a lot of energy for digestion.
- Limit outdoor activities when the weather is very hot or very cold -- the body works harder to regulate the temperature.
- Take care of yourself.
- Take time every day to do things you enjoy and at the same time do your heart good.
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