Patient education: Exercise and heart failure (The Basics)

What is heart failure? — Heart failure is a condition in which the heart does not pump well. This causes the heart to lag behind in its job of moving blood throughout the body. As a result, fluid backs up in the body, and the organs in the body do not get as much blood as they need. This can lead to symptoms, such as swelling, trouble breathing, and feeling tired.

If you have heart failure, your heart has not actually "failed" or stopped beating. It just isn't working as well as it should.

Why is exercise important? — Exercise is a part of taking care of yourself. It's also important to do other things, like taking your medicines and following your eating plan.

Exercise can help improve how you feel and strengthen your muscles. As a result, you might have fewer symptoms like shortness of breath or fatigue. Exercise can also help manage your weight and improve balance and sleep.

Talk with your doctor or nurse before you start any exercise program. They can talk to you about what activities are safe for you. They might recommend a "cardiac rehab" program. This is a supervised exercise program that teaches you how to exercise safely and manage your heart failure. Sometimes, they will want you to have an exercise test before you start an exercise program.

What kinds of exercise should I do? — Different kinds of exercise can help you in different ways:

●Aerobic exercise – This raises your heart rate. Examples are walking, running, dancing, riding a bike, or swimming.

●Muscle strengthening – This helps make your muscles stronger. You can do this type of exercise using weights, exercise bands, or weight machines. You can also use your own body weight, like with push-ups. Or you can lift items in your home, like jugs of water.

●Breathing exercises – These help you strengthen the muscles you use when you breathe. These exercises are most important for people who also have a problem with their lungs, like COPD or asthma.

What else should I know?

●When you start an exercise program, start slowly. For example, do the exercise at a slow pace or for a few minutes only. Over time, you can exercise faster and for longer periods of time.

•Some people start with only 5 or 10 minutes of exercise. Add a minute or 2 each day.

•Work up to 20 to 30 minutes of activity each day.

•If 30 minutes of exercise at once is too much for you, break up the sessions throughout your day. Try 2 sessions that are 15 minutes each, or 3 sessions that are 10 minutes each.

●Warm up your muscles before exercise to help prevent injury. Warm up with light walking and gentle stretches.

●Find the best time of day for you to exercise. Some people tend to have more energy in the morning. Others have more energy later in the day.

●It is normal to feel more tired when you start an exercise program. This should improve with time.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if you think that you might be having a heart attack.

Symptoms of a heart attack might include:

●Severe chest pain, pressure, or discomfort with:

•Trouble breathing, sweating, upset stomach, or cold clammy skin

•Pain in your arms, back, or jaw

•Worse pain with activity like walking up stairs

●Fast or irregular heartbeat

●Feeling dizzy, faint, or weak

Call your doctor for advice if:

●You have any trouble breathing, including waking up at night or needing more pillows than usual to sleep.

●You have wheezing or chest tightness when resting.

●You have a very fast or irregular heartbeat.

●You cough more than normal, or cough up frothy or pink saliva.

●You feel more tired than normal.

●You have diarrhea, or cannot drink water.

●Your weight goes up by 2 or more pounds (1 kilogram) in 1 day, or 4 or more pounds (2 kilograms) in 1 week.

●You have more swelling than usual, especially in your feet and ankles or in your belly.

●You have any new or worrying symptoms.

More on this topic

Patient education: Heart failure (The Basics)
Patient education: ECG and stress test (The Basics)
Patient education: Exercise and movement (The Basics)

Patient education: Heart failure (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Exercise (Beyond the Basics)