Exercise
Quite simply, exercise can be a lifesaver for women with heart disease.
Your heart is a muscle. Like any muscle, it becomes stronger with exercise and can pump blood more effeciently. At the same time, exercise also improves the performance of the muscles in the rest of your body.
Research shows that the benefits of regular exercise include:
-
relieving or decreasing the symptoms of angina
-
lessening fatigue, shortness of breath and perceived exertion during physical activity
-
stopping or reversing the build-up of blockages in the vessels that supply blood to the heart
-
reducing cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity
-
helping you lose and maintain a healthy weight, especially when you also make healthy changes to your diet
-
improving bone strength
-
offsetting the negative effects of many chronic conditions and reducing or eliminating aches and pains
-
reducing stress and improving your sense of well-being
If you have cardiovascular disease, make sure you get clear, detailed advice about an exercise program that is right for you – what reasonable exercise goals are for you and how you can achieve them. Supervised cardiac rehabilitation (such as that provided by the Women's Cardiovascular Health Initiative at Women’s College Hospital) is considered necessary in the treatment of people with heart disease. Unfortunately, it is estimated that as few as 15 percent of eligible women are referred to these programs.
