Cardio exercise: the dose counts
All content is checked by medical journalists.MunichFor people with heart failure, the absolute physical protection program no longer applies. Experts even expressly advise people with a weakened heart muscle to incorporate exercise into their everyday life. The combination of moderate endurance and weight training has the best effects on health.
Regular endurance exercise not only improves the resilience and quality of life of cardiac patients, but presumably also extends their lives. A meta-analysis by the Cochrane Center in Freiburg of 47 studies with almost 10,800 patients showed that endurance training reduced the death rate from cardiovascular complications by 26 percent after twelve months or more and prevented some hospital stays. According to the medical newspaper, the experts at the Dresden Cardiovascular Days described the results as quite impressive.
Correctly dose training
However, experts advise people with heart failure to be cautious about physical activity. Patients should begin with five to ten minute training sessions before increasing the duration, frequency, and intensity of training. The goal is moderate exercise for 20 to 40 minutes, three to five days a week.
In addition, dynamic strength training is recommended two to three times a week. However, the stress threshold at which heart problems occur (angina pectoris threshold) should not be exceeded. This threshold increases with regular training - those affected can therefore stress themselves increasingly higher.
Before starting training, it is important to have the maximum heart rate and the heart rate reserve calculated.So you can measure the frequency during sport and make sure that you do not exceed the guideline values.
Exercising together is also motivating
Cardiac patients should ideally develop their training plan with a doctor or a coronary sports medicine center employee. Alternatively, you can go to special cardio and coronary sports groups that are available in all major cities. There, under the guidance of experienced sports therapists, the load is adapted to the patient's performance. Often a doctor is even present. Such sports groups also have a number of positive psychosocial effects that can be important for motivation and for coping with illness.
Adaptation reactions throughout the body
Regular exercise not only has a positive effect on the heart. The function of the blood and lymph vessels is trained, new capillaries - the finest blood vessels - are formed and improve the oxygen supply to muscles and organs. The heart rhythm and the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates are also positively influenced.
Statistics show that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of disability and premature death in developed countries. However, the death rate from heart disease is falling in Germany. The German Society for Cardiology reports, for example, that mortality from heart failure in this country has fallen by 19 percent in the past two decades. Experts suspect that sporting activities in medical rehabilitation have played their part and should be used even more frequently. Even those who are not ill should exercise regularly to reduce their risk of cardiovascular diseases. (vv)
