Heart failure or congestive heart failure indicates the condition of one’s heart when it no longer is able to pump the blood properly. Since tissues and cells do not able to receive blood in adequate amount, most of your daily activities become very much difficult. However, even though congestive heart failure is a severe condition, cardiologists recommend patients to participate in various regular physical exercises to manage the condition and at the same time to make the necessary lifestyle changes to lead a healthy life.
Can You Exercise With Congestive Heart Failure?
Yes, a person may involve in physical exercises even when the patient has cardiac problem of above type. However, it is essential for patients to stay careful and safe. Since your condition is somewhat different from other people, you should discuss with your cardiologist to develop an effective yet a safe exercise plan familiar with the specific condition.
Warming Up and Cool Down
It is essential for every person to spend at least a few minutes (5 minutes is enough) to do warming up as well as cool down before and after you start/wind up each session of the activity. This helps you to avoid any injury and stress to your heart.
Warming up for 5 minutes allows our body and our heart to adjust with increasing demands of our physical activities. Furthermore, it stretches muscles and tendons for avoiding any cramp. Cooling down on the other side lets our blood pressure, heart rate and other functions performed by our body to return to the normal resting levels and to bring down the adrenaline level in a gradual way.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise for congestive heart failure acts as a safe and a beneficial activity for patients suffering from congestive heart failure. These workouts help in improving your cardiac efficiency and increasing the blood flow to allow your tissues and cells to receive oxygen as well as other essential nutrients in adequate amounts. In this way, your body performs its functions in an appropriate manner.
Strength-Training Exercises
Congestive heart failure patients may even participate in various strength-training or strength-building types of exercises. In this case, you should use light free weights or resistance bands and appropriate techniques to avoid any injury. Cardiologists and health experts recommend you to use controlled movements, maintain a regular breathing pattern and avoid any stain while you go for strength training workouts. Along with this, you should immediately stop your exercise in case you feel dizziness or experience breathing shortness and feel chest pain of an unusual type.
Tips and Guidelines to Do Physical Exercises
As you start with building your regular activity, you have to consider a few important things, which include the following-
- Choose your walking shoes, in which you fit in a comfortable way and get proper support.
- Wait for about 1 hour after you have a light meal to do physical exercise. You should never go to do exercise on full or empty stomach.
- You should avoid outdoor exercises when the cold exceeds 40°F or warm exceeds 80°F. Furthermore, you should never go for workout during high smog days.
- Make sure to do warming up and cooling down activities as well as stretching before and after exercises respectively.
- Always make sure to start any physical activity at a slow yet a steady pace instead of moving very fast.
- Never intend to hold the breath when you walk, do physical exercise or involve in any type of physical activity.
- Opt to involve in exercise or your chosen activity during the specified time of your day when you feel yourself as maximum energetic.
- Lastly, you should discuss with your doctor if your tiredness exceed for more than one day, especially after you participate in any activity or physical exercise.
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