For people living with heart failure, exercise can be both a blessing and a curse—it can potentially improve quality of life but exerting oneself when suffering from such an ailment can seem daunting. However, despite being scared of physical activity due to any onset of fatigue that may occur, it turns out exercise could be the key to managing symptoms and improving lifestyle quality.
A recent study has concluded that exercise training benefits those dealing with heart failure, which should give them hope when looking for ways to manage their condition.
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In this blog post, we’ll discuss how exercise helps those with heart failure, so read on if you or someone close to you wants to learn more about the treatments available.
Heart failure, a progressive condition, occurs when the heart struggles to supply the body with the necessary amount of blood. This can transpire due to the heart muscle becoming rigid or losing its blood flow pumping strength.
It is crucial for individuals diagnosed with this condition to receive appropriate treatment that primarily focuses on alleviating symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue. These treatments also aim to minimize or delay the potential threat of heart failure, which includes a decline in quality of life, frequent hospitalizations, the forfeiture of functional independence, mounting healthcare expenses, and an elevated risk of death.
In April 2022, the American Heart Association released recommendations on exercise training for people with heart failure, regardless of the type.
“Exercising helps improve the heart’s pumping ability, decreases blood vessel stiffness and improves the function and energy capacity of skeletal muscle,” said Vandana Sachdev, M.D., chair of the scientific statement writing committee. “Exercise capacity is an independent, clinically meaningful patient outcome, and research has indicated that guided exercise therapy is actually more effective at improving quality of life for people who have HFpEF than most medications.”
This new study examined research published since 2010 to assess the impact of exercise-based therapies. Various types of exercise were evaluated, including walking, stationary cycling, high-intensity interval training, strength training, and dancing.
Peak oxygen uptake was measured, which is the total amount of oxygen a person can breathe into the lungs during physical exertion. For those living with HFpEF, their peak uptake is often only about 30% lower than a healthy person. However, through exercise, it was found that there was an increase of more than 6 – 7% in those with HFpEF.
Overall, supervised exercise training was found to be safe in people with chronic, stable heart failure.
“Future work is needed to improve referral of appropriate patients to supervised exercise programs, and better strategies to improve long-term adherence to exercise training is needed, said Sachdev.
Heart failure is prevalent due to an aging population and the growing rates of risk factors such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is why studies such as this need to help healthcare professionals find natural ways to help prevent and reduce the symptoms of heart failure.
How To Keep The Heart Strong and Healthy
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CoQ10 is a vital nutrient needed to promote healthy cardiovascular function. However, research has shown that CoQ10 levels can decline with stress, age, and cholesterol-lowering statin use. Due to this decline, it is essential to help support and maintain CoQ10 levels.
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Sarah began her interest in nutritional healing at an early age. After going through health problems and becoming frustrated with the conventional ways doctors wanted to treat her illness (which were not working), she took it upon herself to find alternative treatments. This led her to revolutionize her own diet to help her get healthier and tackle her health problems. She began treating her illness by living a more balanced lifestyle through healthy food choices, exercise and other alternative medicine such as meditation. This total positive lifestyle change led her to earn a diploma in Nutritional Therapy from Health Sciences Academy in London, England. Today, Sarah enjoys helping others by teaching healthy lifestyle changes through her personal consultations and with her regular contributions to the Doctors Health Press. Also, passionate about following her dreams in life, Sarah moved to France and lived in Paris for over 5 years where she earned a certification in beadwork and embroidery from Lesage (an atelier owned by Chanel). She then went on to be a familiar face sitting front row and reporting from Paris Fashion Week. Sarah continues to practice some of the cultural ways of life she learned while in Europe. They enjoy their food, and take the time to relax and enjoy many of life’s little moments. These are life lessons she is glad to have brought back home with her.
