Warnings to watch for during exercise
Exercise is beneficial for everyone, even those who have heart disease or have had a heart attack. Regular exercise can strengthen your heart and promote quicker recovery.
Safe Exercise for Heart Disease
However, there are warning signs to watch for.
Stop exercise if you become short of breath or overly fatigued. Granted, exercise will cause you to breathe harder and you should feel like you have exerted yourself after a solid workout. Discuss what is acceptable for you with your doctor.
If you deal with shortness of breath regularly, even when not exercising, contact your doctor. You may need to adjust your diet, fluid intake, or medications.
If you develop heart palpitations or an irregular heartbeat, stop exercising, rest for 15 minutes and then take your pulse. If you heart rate remains greater than 120 beats per minutes, contact your doctor.
Don’t ignore pain. Ignoring pain can lead to injury.
When to stop exercising
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Safe Exercise for Heart Disease
Exercise is beneficial for everyone, even those who have heart disease or have had a heart attack. Regular exercise can strengthen your heart, promote quicker recovery, and reduce dependence on medication.
Heart benefits of exercise include:
- Lower blood pressure
- Increased HDL cholesterol levels
- Reduced triglycerides
- Decreased LDL cholesterol levels
- Reduced symptoms of heart failure
- Improved circulation
- Stronger heart muscle
- Blood sugar control
- Weight loss
- Reduced angina
However, you do need to be cautious before starting an exercise routine if you have heart disease or have had a heart attack.
Discuss with your doctor first
It’s especially important to discuss exercise with your doctor if you recently had a heart attack, are experiencing chest pain/pressure or shortness of breath, have diabetes, or recently had a heart procedure.
Some questions to ask your doctor include…
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Exercise Tips if You’re Over 65
Remember, you are not too old to exercise! The US Department of Health and Human Services has issued the guide – Exercise & Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute of Aging.
Being physically active does not become less important with age. Remaining active into your senior years has many benefits. Here are just a few of the benefits you’ll see by including regular physical activity everyday:
• Improved mobility for continued independence.
• Improve balance to decrease fall risk.
• Improved mental health.
• Reduce risk of disease and disability.
• Treatment for chronic conditions, such as arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes.
Fortunately, there are a wide variety of activity options you can select from and many are low cost. For example, taking a brisk walk, selecting the stairs instead of the elevator, and yard work all contribute to increase your activity level.
The Exercise & Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute of Aging includes multiple exercises and activities to fit your lifestyle, preferences, and budget.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Healthy Tips
