Cardiac Rehab Exercises

This time, I will focus on some cardiac rehab exercise that can help you strengthen your heart and muscles. 

Some of the exercises are:

• Arm raise: This exercise helps you strengthen your shoulder muscles. You need to hold hand weights (one to two pounds) and raise your arms to the sides until they are parallel to the ground, then lower them back to your sides. Repeat 6 to 8 times and do a second set. 
• Triceps extension: This exercise helps you strengthen the triceps muscles (back of the upper arm). You need to hold a hand weight in one hand and raise your arm up, then bend your elbow and lower the weight behind you. Then straighten your arm and lift the weight up again. Repeat 6 to 8 times and do a second set. 
• Walking heel-to-toe: This exercise helps you improve your balance. You need to walk by placing the heel of one foot just in front of the toes of the other foot, so that they touch or almost touch. Repeat for 20 heel-to-toe steps.
• Leg extensions: This exercise helps you strengthen your thigh and leg muscles. You need to sit on a chair and lift one leg off the floor until your knee is straight, then lower it back down. Repeat on the other side. Repeat 6 to 8 times on each side and do a second set.
• Side leg raise: This exercise helps you strengthen your hip, thighs and buttocks. You need to stand behind a chair and hold it for balance, then lift one leg to the side as high as you can, then lower it back down. Repeat on the other side. Repeat 6 to 8 times on each side and do a second set.

These are some examples of cardiac rehab exercises that you can do at home or at a gym. You should always consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program and follow their instructions on how often and how long to exercise.

Cardiac Rehabilitation with Homeopathy

Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program that helps people who have heart disease or have had a heart-related event, such as a heart attack, angioplasty, bypass surgery, valve repair or replacement, or heart transplant. 

The goal of cardiac rehabilitation is to improve the functional capacity, well-being, and quality of life of these patients, and to reduce the risk of further heart problems.

Cardiac rehabilitation usually involves exercise training, health education, cardiovascular risk management, and psychological support, tailored to the individual needs and preferences of each patient. 

However, many patients face barriers to accessing cardiac rehabilitation services, such as lack of availability, affordability, convenience, or motivation. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to a further reduction in access to cardiac rehabilitation.

Homeopathy is a system of natural medicine that uses highly diluted substances to stimulate the body’s own healing power. Homeopathy can be used to treat various cardiac disorders, such as angina, arrhythmia, heart failure, etc., by addressing the underlying causes and individual symptoms of each patient . Homeopathy can also help patients cope with the emotional and psychological aspects of having heart disease, such as anxiety, depression, stress, or grief .

Homeopathy can be integrated with cardiac rehabilitation to offer a holistic and personalized approach to improving cardiovascular outcomes. Homeopathy can complement the conventional medical treatment and enhance its effectiveness by reducing side effects or interactions with other medications . Homeopathy can also provide additional benefits that may not be achieved by conventional treatment alone, such as improving vitality, immunity, sleep quality, mood, and self-confidence .

Homeopathy can also help overcome some of the barriers to accessing cardiac rehabilitation services. Homeopathy is safe and natural, meaning it has no side effects or contraindications for most patients. Homeopathy is cost-effective and accessible, meaning it is affordable and easy to obtain without requiring expensive tests or procedures. Homeopathy is flexible and convenient, meaning it can be administered at home or in a clinic according to the patient’s preference and availability.

Homeopathy can also support the use of home-based and technology-based models of cardiac rehabilitation that have been shown to be effective alternatives or adjuncts to traditional center based programs. 

These models can improve access to cardiac rehabilitation for patients who live in remote areas or have limited mobility or transportation options. 

To benefit from homeopathy for cardiac rehabilitation, patients should consult a qualified homeopath who can prescribe the most suitable remedy based on their individual symptoms and constitution. Patients should also follow the advice of their homeopath and their cardiologist regarding their medication, diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Patients should monitor their progress and report any changes or concerns to their homeopath and their cardiologist.

Homeopathy can be a valuable addition to cardiac rehabilitation for patients who have heart disease or have had a heart-related event. Homeopathy can help improve the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of these patients and reduce the risk of further heart problems. Homeopathy can also help increase access to cardiac rehabilitation services by offering a safe, natural, affordable, and convenient option for patients who prefer a holistic and personalized approach.

References:

• Cardiac Rehabilitation | Premilife - Homeopathic Remedies. https://www.premilife.com/diseases/cardiovascular-system/cardiac-rehabilitation/
• Taylor RS et al. The role of cardiac rehabilitation in improving cardiovascular outcomes. Nat Rev Cardiol 2022; 19:180–194. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-021-00611-7
• Cardiac Rehabilitation | National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/cardiac-rehabilitation
• Homeopathy Treatment For Cardiological Disorders - Lybrate. https://www.lybrate.com/topic/homeopathy-treatment-for-cardiological-disorders/40fe803b6e361901d25b2883f9b95336
• D’Souza L. Cardiology: The Homeopathic Way. Hpathy.com. https://hpathy.com/homeopathy-papers/cardiology-homeopathic-way/

Cardiac Rehab with Touching Heart

Angina pectoris is a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. The original medical description of this condition was noted in the late 1700’s. Soon after, an angina patient was found to have improved symptoms by walking in the woods 30 minutes daily. Unfortunately, this finding was ignored, and inactivity became the standard of treatment for all acute coronary events for the next 200 years, only changing in the 1940s. This immobility caused deconditioning, decreased functional capacity, prolonged hospital stays, and increased morbidity and mortality.

We now know that a 30-minute walk in the woods is not only a physical activity that decreases the risk of future events, but also something that helps with stress management and relaxation. If you suffered a myocardial infarction (heart attack) in the 1930s, standards of care placed you on 6 weeks of bedrest. In the 1940s, you were allowed to sit up in a chair sooner, and in the 1950s, the nurses took you on a 3-5-minute walk four weeks after your event. It was then realized that the earlier ambulation reduced some complications. Research continued to corroborate the benefits of physical activity to improved outcomes.

Cardiac rehab as we know it today is a multidisciplinary approach to risk factor modification. It continues to evolve as research dictates. Phase II cardiac rehab is usually a 12-week outpatient program. Patients exercise while being monitored and risk factor modification is taught, including tobacco cessation, diet counseling, blood pressure monitoring and stress management.

The World Health Organizations defines cardiac rehab with accuracy: It is the sum of activities required to influence favorably the underlying cause of the disease, as well as to ensure the patient the best possible physical, mental and social conditions, so that they may, by their own efforts, preserve or resume when lost, as normal a place as possible in the life of the community (World Health Organization, 1993).

The outlook of cardiac rehab is exciting as we explore non-traditional protocols of delivery. High-intensity interval training and high-calorie-expenditure exercise programs are gaining momentum. Work- and home-based cardiac rehab are options to move away from the traditional outpatient setting. Integrating modern technology, such as internet, apps, phones and other monitoring devices with cardiac rehab will change delivery of the services.

These future possibilities offer a much-needed expansion of the program into a variety of demographics and will remove many barriers to current participation. Innovation will bring cardiac rehab into the next generation, and we will see a decrease in mortality and morbidity from our country’s number one killer as more participants access and use this proven, evidence-based program.
Lisa McNally, BSN, RN, is HeartLife Oconee Coordinator for Prisma Health. HeartLife is Prisma Health’ss comprehensive heart disease rehabilitation program. For more information about the HeartLife program