If you suffer from Heart Disease – Exercise is an ESSENTIAL part of any Treatment Regime
- Exercise in Heart Disease is Essential to any treatment regime
- The benefits of Exercise in Heart Disease are numerous and include increased lifespan, reduction in symptoms and slowing of disease progression
- There are many different types of Heart Disease and exercise is safe in almost all of them, including after a heart attack
- The biggest barrier to exercise in Heart Disease if lack of patient information and education. Something we aim to rectify here
For thousands of years it has been evident to many different civilizations that exercise is important to good physical health. Quotations dating back to the ancient Greeks clearly reveal that those who exercised were less likely to fall ill.
“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it”
Plato – Ancient Greek Philospher 428 – 348 BC
Although it seems obvious, these claims have now been proven by multiple scientific trials and it is now clearly evident that increasing levels of physical activity result in a reduction in cardiovascular disease suffering and deaths (heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure, strokes).
Interestingly these studies have also shown that even after someone has developed one of these diseases or had a heart attack, exercise can improve the disease outcome dramatically and can prevent further events from occurring.
Contrary to popular belief there are in fact very few cardiovascular disease states in which people are advised not to exercise, and even then restrictions are generally temporary and still allow for some form of physical activity.
So there is no doubt that exercise is vitally important in both preventing disease and treating disease, but the problem has always been in the translation of this knowledge to the general public. With over 70% of Americans not getting enough exercise, it is no wonder we have a problem on our hands.
One of the biggest problems that has been repeatedly evident with my own patients is that there is a distinct lack of information as to what exercise to do after someone has been diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease such as Coronary Artery Disease or Heart Failure or what to do after they have had an event such as a Heart Attack.
This is a time when people can be vulnerable and confused and as a result often choose to do nothing at all as they are scared that exercise may actually not be good for them. Many physicians also struggle with guiding patients, as they themselves may be unsure of what is ‘safe’.
The fact is that more times than not, despite what disease has been diagnosed, there is some form of exercise that people can and should be doing to improve their outcomes and reduce the risk of death. They just need to know what!
Here at myheart.net our expert Cardiologists and Medical Practitioners are developing an extensive online centre dedicated to providing the public with everything you need to know about what exercise you should be doing to both prevent and treat cardiovascular disease.
We aim to provide comprehensive guidelines that are both informative and safe in an effort to help those who suffer from cardiovascular disease to improve their own health and longevity.