Angina exercise programming
Angina exercise programming requires some thought to the starting postion and how the programme is built up in layers,
Requirements.
What are the requirements for an angina exercise program? In order for patients to recover as quickly as possible, it pays to get the specifications correct.
Recommendations for an angina exercise program include:
Type of exercise:
Low to moderate intensity aerobic training is recommended. This can include walking, swimming, bike riding, jogging, rowing, circuit training, etc.
Program design:
Each session should include a 15-minute warm up, an aerobic conditioning phase of 20-30 minutes, and a 10-minute cool down. 5-10 minutes of gentle stretching at the end will help your body to relax.
Intensity:
This is a key issue with rehab programs. It is usually recommended that cardiac rehab patients undertake low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise, and this is indeed effective. However, several randomised trials have compared high intensity training with low to moderate intensity training and found that while the high intensity training group had significantly greater improvements fitness, they were no differences in deaths or reinfarction in other words, a well-supervised high intensity program is not dangerous.
Frequency:
Research suggests that two sessions per week of aerobic training is sufficient to yield significant gains in overall fitness. Thus most programs recommend two sessions per week for a minimum of eight weeks.
Monitoring:
It is recommended that training be monitored, using either a pulse monitor or the Borg scale of perceived exertion. Once patients have been trained to use the Borg scale, it has been found to relate closely to other objective measures of exercise intensity.
