5 Safe Sports Tips For Patients With Heart Failure

Illustration of safe sports tips for people with heart failure (Freepik/mdjaff)

YOGYAKARTA For patients with heart failure, maybe they are wary if they will start a sports routine. Experts provide a number of sports tips that are safe and best for people with heart failure.

Heart failure patients will feel shortness of breath and fatigue if they do heavy exercise. Obviously, physiotherapists of the Heart Failure Unit, St. George Hospital, London, Susan Eriksen, reported by the British Heart Foundation, Sunday, October 20, in the past, people with heart failure were told to need rest. But now as we know, exercising regularly can be very beneficial, including for heart failure patients. Nursing Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation, Gill Farthing, said exercise for patients in heart failure helps muscles and lungs work better. It also helps reduce pressure on the heart.

In addition, exercise is also useful for improving the quality of life by regulating emotions. Safe sports tips for heart failure patients, below.

The Borg scale can help measure how much you are mobilizing yourself. In order not to overly push yourself, Farthing advises, use that scale. The 0 figure is sitting without doing anything, and 10 is fatigue. Keep doing moderate intensity exercise. If you breathe heavily but can still talk during exercise, this is a sign of moderate intensity exercise.

Cooling after exercise is very important. It is recommended that after exercise not immediately lie down, but while standing, do a movement to cool down. If you exercise while sitting, tap your fingers gently so that your heart rate drops gradually.

The standard guide when carrying out moderate intensity physical activity, is carried out for 150 minutes. However, it can be done in stages. For example, every sporting session with a duration of 5-10 minutes. If done every day will be better than not at all.

If you feel tired after all day of activity, listen to your body. The body may need more rest than exercise. Well, if you have more time, fill in moderate intensity for 5-10 minutes. To be sure, you need to adjust the tempo of your fitness routine every day.

Some people have exercise at night, some like exercise in the morning. You can choose the best time. Eriksen advises, do aerobic activities and exercise endurance as a safe exercise for patients with heart failure. But it must be noted, it is better to follow the doctor's advice and not with high intensity. Gardening activities can also be a safe sports alternative for patients with heart failure. However, when experiencing palpitation (flooding heart, extreme breathing, and dizziness), stop your sports activities.