Transplant exercise programming

Benefits to train.

It is widely recognised that good cardiac exercise programming can dramatically improve recovery for patients. However, to be effective, a cardiac exercise program needs to meet certain specifications.

The key areas are as follows:

Type of exercise:

A variety of different types of aerobic training are recommended, including walking, swimming, biking, running, rowing, circuit training, etc.

Program design:

Each session should include a good warm-up (15 minutes), an aerobic conditioning phase of 20-30 minutes, and a 10-minute cool down. 5-10 minutes of gentle stretching at the will ensure that your body relaxes sufficiently.

Intensity:

It is typically usually recommended that cardiac exercise programs are conducted at low to moderate intensity. However, several randomised trials have compared high intensity training with low to moderate intensity training and found that not only did high intensity training have significantly greater improvements fitness, it was also just as safe as more moderate training in other words, a well-supervised high intensity program was not dangerous.

Frequency:

Two to three sessions per week of aerobic training yield significant gains in overall fitness. Thus most programs recommend two or three sessions per week for a minimum of eight weeks.

Monitoring:

Training should be monitored, using either a pulse monitor, or the Borg scale of perceived exertion. Once patients are trained to use the Borg scale, it has been found to relate closely to other objective measures of exercise intensity.