Angina, a pain in the chest, occurs when the heart does not receive an adequate supply of oxygenated blood. It can manifest as pain, pressure or a feeling of constriction in the chest, arms, shoulders or jaw. It is a symptom of heart disease caused by excessive physical activity, which causes your body not to provide sufficient oxygenation to the heart muscle. It can happen during training or when climbing stairs. However, if your angina is stable, exercising can improve the problem. Aerobic activity helps improve heart health and oxygenated blood circulation during periods of rest or motion. With your doctor's permission, gradually and safely introducing exercise into your weekly schedule can help you maintain or even improve heart health.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Staying Fit if You Have Angina
Step 1. Talk to your doctor
Before starting any exercise program if you have chronic angina, consult your doctor. He will be able to tell you if the exercises are safe for you and will be able to advise you on how to avoid the risks.
- Before starting your workout, ask your doctor if regular physical activity is safe and appropriate for you. While exercise can improve angina for many patients, this is not the case for everyone.
- Ask your doctor what kind of exercises are best for you. Can you do cardiovascular activities? Should you limit yourself to low intensity exercises or can you try medium or high intensity ones?
- Ask your doctor what symptoms are dangerous. For example, if you experience chest pain when walking on the treadmill, what should you do?
Step 2. Monitor your heart rate during exercise
This advice can be very helpful if you have angina. It can give you an idea of the strain your heart has to endure.
- Purchase a heart rate monitor. You can get a bracelet or watch with that functionality, however it is best to buy a heart rate monitor that straps to the chest, as they are the most accurate.
- When you start following an exercise program after being diagnosed with angina, it is usually advisable to start with low-intensity exercises that don't cause your heart to exceed 50% of your maximum heart rate.
- To find out your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, if you are 60, your maximum heart rate is 160 beats per minute.
- Using the heart rate monitor, keep your heart rate at exactly 50% during training. In this example, you should try to get it to about 80 beats per minute.
- If your doctor allows it, you can gradually improve your aerobic endurance and go up to 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. However, never try to reach the maximum value during the activity.
- Angina sufferers can adapt to exercise in order to improve their performance. In some cases, you can take nitroglycerin to improve effectiveness, while in others, it is the physical activity itself that allows you to get used to it.
Step 3. Consider starting a cardiac rehabilitation program
If you have just been diagnosed with angina, your doctor can suggest a program of that type. These are medically supervised programs that help you resume regular physical activity.
- A cardiac rehabilitation program is provided, without the need for hospitalization, for patients with heart problems or who have chronic heart conditions. They are designed to help improve fitness while reducing symptoms and side effects.
- Ask your doctor if you can participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program that will help you improve aerobic endurance, physical strength and mobility.
- Follow the program until it is finished, when you will receive authorization to train on your own. Schedule regular visits with your doctor and closely monitor your cardiovascular health.
Step 4. Start with short sessions of low intensity exercise
Many people with angina are not in good shape. This is especially true if you have been instructed to stop exercising for weeks or months following your diagnosis.
- If you are looking to recover and regain cardiac strength and endurance, it is advisable to start with short sessions of low intensity exercise.
- If you resume high-intensity exercise or try to train for a long time, it could cause symptoms to return or worsen.
- Aim for 15-20 minutes of low-intensity activity every day. If it seems too easy, increase the duration to 25-30 minutes the following day, but don't increase the intensity.
Step 5. Choose low intensity exercises such as walking, water walking, cycling or using the elliptical
- As your stamina and fitness improve, you can very slowly increase the duration of the exercises and later also the intensity.
- These exercises can increase your heart rate, but you will have complete control of the exact value during the workout.
Step 6. Always include a good warm-up and a proper cool-down
These training phases have always been considered important for a good program. However, they are essential for training safely.
- Starting and ending a training session gradually helps to progressively increase heart rate, blood flow and warm up the muscles. These effects limit the risk of injury.
- If you suffer from angina, it is essential to warm up and cool down the heart. If you don't train this way, you could strain that muscle too much and cause symptoms to appear.
- Give your body and heart time to get used to a higher level of activity. Start with a warm-up of at least 10 minutes. Include very low intensity aerobic exercises and light stretches.
- Also allow your heart to slow down after you finish your workout. The final phase should also consist of 10 minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise, followed by light stretches.
Step 7. Avoid exercising in extreme weather conditions
Another important aspect of training safely when you suffer from angina is avoiding the extreme conditions. You may be surprised at the extent of the effect of the environment on your condition.
- It is advisable to avoid physical activity outdoors if it is very cold, hot or humid;
- Doing activities in similar climatic conditions increases the risk of heart problems;
- If you'd rather not skip sessions and continue exercising even in extreme weather, do it indoors. Walk on the treadmill, swim in an indoor pool, or take a DVD aerobics class.
Part 2 of 3: Achieving Angina Training Goals
Step 1. Aim for 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week
If you have angina, you may feel that you need to limit total activity. However, if your condition is stable, you should be able to train for about two and a half hours a week.
- Health professionals say that if your angina is stable and you have your doctor's clearance, you are safe by meeting standard recommendations for weekly physical activity.
- Aiming to get about 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week is recommended. Break the exercises into short sessions (especially at the beginning). Try 25 minutes a day for six days a week. Alternatively, you can do three 10-minute sessions five days a week.
- Start with low intensity exercises like walking or aqua aerobics. However, over time, try medium-intensity activities, such as hiking, running at a slow pace, an elliptical with resistance, or an aerobics class.
Step 2. Slowly add low intensity strength training workouts
In addition to cardiovascular exercises, it is important to work on strengthening the strength of the muscles. Weight training or resistance training complements aerobic work.
- Health professionals agree that almost all strength-building exercises are also suitable for angina sufferers.
- Aim to include 1-2 sessions a week of about 20 minutes of exercise to gain muscle mass. You can try weight lifting, yoga, or pilates.
- Consider limiting exercises for the upper body, which can cause angina symptoms more than lower body exercises.
Step 3. Adopt a more active lifestyle
In addition to trying to introduce more structured exercises into your routine, you can also maintain a more active lifestyle. This is a great way for angina sufferers to stay active and healthy.
- All the actions you normally need to take can contribute to an active lifestyle. Walk to get mail, mow the lawn, or mop the floor.
- These activities don't burn a lot of calories and don't elevate your heart rate. However, they allow you to stay active and raise your heart rate enough to still get aerobic benefits.
- Many studies have shown that structured aerobic activity and a more active lifestyle offer very similar health benefits. As a result, if you can't train traditionally or for a long time, try a more active lifestyle first.
Step 4. Always include rest days
While being active all the time is important to regain aerobic endurance, it is still important to rest.
- Health and fitness professionals recommend including one or two rest days per week. If you're just starting out, you can rest up to three days a week.
- Rest is important for many reasons. For one thing, it is during rest that your muscles become stronger, more resilient, and increase in size.
- Rest is especially important if you have angina, as you need to allow your heart and cardiovascular system to recover between one workout and the next.
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding Risks While Exercising
Step 1. Stop if you feel pain or discomfort
Many health professionals recommend physical activity to aid in recovery from angina. However, they also recommend paying attention to symptoms.
- If you experience chest pain, difficulty breathing, or a feeling of tightness in your chest, stop exercising right away.
- Once you've finished exercising, keep your heart rate low. Do not resume activity even when the pain or discomfort has passed. You should rest for a day.
- If you still experience pain or discomfort the next day or during your next training session, see your doctor right away.
Step 2. Always carry your medications with you
There are many medicines that are prescribed to manage angina. Always keep them close at hand, especially when exercising.
- One of the most commonly prescribed drugs for angina is nitroglycerin. It should be taken at the first appearance of symptoms. It is essential to always have it with you.
- Additionally, also make sure others are aware of your problem and know where to find medications. If symptoms arise and you cannot reach your meds, another person will be able to help you.
Step 3. Consider exercising with another person
Another great idea to avoid taking risks during the exercises is to do them with a training partner, who can help you deal with the symptoms or serious problems that may arise, in case you are not able.
- While it may scare you, symptoms can still show up even if you get treatment. They are usually mild, but some can be more serious and even fatal.
- Since physical activity can make symptoms worse, consider asking a relative or friend for help when exercising. It should be someone who knows your problem, your medications, and what to do in an emergency.
- Go to the gym together, walk or cycle together. Having someone by your side in case of problems can make exercising safer and make you feel more peaceful.
Advice
- Although angina is a manageable condition, it is a very serious heart problem. Never exercise unless you have received permission from your doctor.
- If you notice worsening symptoms, call your doctor right away.
- Don't be afraid to exercise if you have angina. Regular exercise can really help you improve heart health.
