One member of the team that released this finding said, “We need to do a better job finding ways to help people not only change their behaviors, but maintain them over a lifetime. As health care providers, we’re pretty good at saying that you are at risk for a disease, you need to lose weight, be more physically active, and eat more fruits and vegetables. While that’s easy to say, it’s not easy for the person to actually translate it into their everyday life.”

Here are some suggestions for easily integrating positive behavioral changes into your everyday life:

• Set realistic dietary and exercise goals

• Keep track of progress toward goals
• One-to-one counseling, which provides customized support to implementing and maintaining lifestyle changes
• Participate in small groups who share the same health-improvement goals
• See a health care provider that uses motivational interview techniques to encourage patients
• Seek counseling on how to manage setbacks
• Maintain recurring follow-up visits with doctors to update them on your progress and discuss concerns

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If you do choose to exercise outside this summer, be sure to wear light, breathable clothing and pay close attention to possible signs of heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke (which can progress quickly). Drink plenty of water and pour some on your head if you need to cool down quickly. Consult a doctor or personal trainer about setting up an exercise program that will be safe and effective.
Enjoy the summer weather and stay cool!

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• Be active
  • Any sort of activity is better than no activity. This includes: gardening, walking to mail a letter of get to the local grocer, and even getting up to change the television channel as opposed to using the remote

• Aerobic exercise
  • Aerobic exercise is the most important part of an exercise program for people with heart disease. Aerobic exercise is any form of repetitive, rhythmic exercise that uses large muscles, makes patients breathe faster, and gets the heart going. Examples include walking, dancing, swimming, or biking

• Warm up/Cool down
  • Before starting aerobic exercise, prepare your muscles and get your heart pumping by doing stretching for 10 to 15 minutes. After you finish your workout, cool down with a slow walk and stretching for at least 5 minutes.

• Break a sweat
  • After getting the okay from a physician, Start with as little as 5 minutes of exercise, which just about anyone can do, and build it into your daily routine. For example, start by taking a 5-minute daily walk at lunchtime, or walking up and down a staircase for 5 minutes at a time. Try increasing the amount of exercise by a few minutes each week until you reach your target. This allows your heart to build up strength

• Keep it Fresh
  • Changing workouts can help stick with an exercise program. Concerning walking for example, this may simply mean changing a route or sometimes walking with a friend. It may be beneficial to try another type of exercise. Exercise machines like stationary bikes, cross-country ski machines, stair-climbing machines, treadmills, and rowing machines also provide good aerobic exercise. They can be used the home or a gym.

• Time is money
  • Work up to 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 to 5 times a week. It is best to break up your exercise into 10 or 15 minute sessions when beginning.

Following these techniques is a great foundation for developing a sustainable and beneficial exercise routine in order to ensure that a patient’s heart is well protected. To find more tips and guides on exercise for patients with heart disease as well as to obtain further insight on heart disease, visit NorthShore University HealthSystem’s website.

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There are three main factors that the questions a patient asks their physician should revolve around: medication changes, heavy lifting and safe exercises. Medication changes can have a great effect on the body’s response to exercise. A physician can inform a patient if their intended exercise routine is safe. Each patient’s heart and physical capabilities differ and it is important to customize an exercise routine specifically for the patient with their physician.

Once the specifics have been worked out with a physician, there are several general exercise tips all heart disease patients should follow. You can look at them as “best practices guide” if you will.

• Be sure to balance your exercise with rest.

• Avoid isometric exercises (push ups and sit ups) as much as possible. Isometric exercises excessively strain muscles against each other.

• Stay hydrated. Drink water, before you are thirsty. Once you are thirsty, your body is informing you it is dehydrated.

• Avoid extreme weather climates. Excessive temperatures increase the workload on your heart.

• In the event that your exercise routine has been interrupted (due to illness or vacation) make sure to ease back into your routine. Start at a reduced level of activity and work up to where you started.

Exercise is a vital part of maintaining a not only a healthy heart but a healthy life style. As with anything, it is advised to consult a physician before making any decisions that could have an impact on a patient’s heart performance. It is never too late to start exercising. No matter a patient’s age or condition, working with a physician can provide them with a beneficial exercise routine.

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