Do You Have Heart Disease? Then Exercise, But With Great Caution!

Heart disease is the single largest cause for death or disability in India in recent decades. The different risk factors include a combination of genetics, lifestyle, metabolism, inflammation and environmental influence on an individual respectively. Indians have been observed to present with heart disease decades before people of other ancestry- like Europeans for example. We don’t exactly know why this is happening. But, we do know that making lifestyle changes is a great start. Exercising right is the foundation for better health.

Cardio Exercises Heart Patients Should Avoid

• What you can do: Walk, swim, bike or light jogging.
• What not to do: No isometric exercises like pushups, or pullups i.e. no muscle-on-muscle or muscle-on-hard-surface action. No holding your breath while working out. So, be careful at the pool.

Strength Training Restrictions For Heart Patients

Strength training, if done right, is a great addition to your exercise routine. This is because you can strengthen your cardiovascular system. It also reduces your risk of having to deal with osteoporosis, pain, arthritis and will help you sleep better than ever.

• What you can do: alternate between muscle groups- like leg day first, and upper core the next day. Rest alternate days to recover from any fatigue. You will feel sore, but that is ok. Begin slowly, and do NOT rush into exercise.
• What not to do: Do NOT use the wrong technique. No using heavy weights. Use a weight that will allow you to repeat movements comfortably (up to 20 times each side). Continue to breathe while training.
• The pros: You gain muscle, and do not lose muscle tone. Bone health is also better than ever. Good for bowel movement obviously. The heart functions better with movement. Exercise can help strengthen cardiac muscles. It can also help reduce the risk of having to deal with issues like hypertension, diabetes or cholesterolemia. You tend to lose excessive weight, feel good and put less strain on your joints.

High-Intensity Exercises Not Recommended For Heart Patients

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been doing the rounds for the last few years. Though it greatly benefits individuals who are diabetic or suffer from hypertension, it is recommended with great caution or not at all, if someone has heart disease. Studies have actually shown that survival rates of people with heart disease doing HIIT or normal kinds of workouts was the same. If your doctor is fine with you doing HIIT, then go for it. This also means that doing the right amount of exercise is important. Doing more is NOT necessarily a good thing either.
Also, HIIT is a great way to work out if you are young. For older adults, it is better you take things slow. Getting about 150 minutes or higher of movement per week is a good baseline, as established by the WHO.

Exercise Limitations For People With Heart Disease

Did you know that over 90% of heart disease is preventable, if you follow the right kind of lifestyle and diet? This statistic seems staggering but it is true. Prevention is the cure in this case. As for limitations, ensure that you do NOT strain yourself unduly. You should not be gasping for breath or feel your heart trying to run away from you. Both are worrisome. Start slow, and continue in a steady manner. Do NOT exercise if it is too hot or cold. Instead, stick to lighter workouts done indoors. Always be aware of what your heart rate feels like at rest.
It is super important to be aware of the following signs or symptoms, so that you can see a doctor when needed. They are:

• Chest pain or angina
• Feeling dizzy
• Gasping for breath
• Nausea
• Changes in degree of pain

Conclusion

Many people assume that having heart disease is akin to dealing with a death sentence. It does not have to be like that. Physical inactivity can cause way more damage than a little soreness from some exercise. So, wear the right shoes, and the right attire for the occasion, and exercise away, cautiously of course!