20 to 30%
How much recurrent coronary heart disease is reduced when resuming a physical activity
The benefits of physical activity
When you suffer from a heart rhythm disorder or after a heart incident, resuming or beginning a physical activity is usually not what first comes to mind. There is often a lot of apprehension and the feeling of having less control over your body doesn’t help matters.
However, regular physical exercise, when strictly monitored and adapted to your capabilities, is essential as part of your treatment plan.
The benefits are multiple. It even helps increase the effectiveness of certain medications. It improves your heart function by strengthening it and improving blood circulation. Exercise also limits other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and obesity, and makes it easier to quit smoking. It increases your lung and muscle capacity and improves endurance, reducing sensations of fatigue and shortness of breath.
In addition, the benefits on mental health are well-established, since exercise helps to reduce anxiety and depression and improve sleep.
More generally, physical activity helps you to raise your self-esteem and reclaim your body. When it is practiced as a group, it also helps you get your social life back on track, which is often neglected when you are sick.
Why is it good for your health?
When well-regulated, physical activity after a heart rhythm disorder or heart incident can help improve myocardial performance. But what actually happens to the heart? Firstly, the force of contraction of the heart increases: it needs less effort to function and therefore beats more slowly. Blood pressure then decreases as blood circulation improves. Blood circulation in the arteries also improves, reducing the risk of thrombosis. Lastly, sport has a favorable effect on the glycemic balance and helps prevent diabetes, which raises the risk of heart failure.
Conditions for resuming sport
Resuming sport after a heart rhythm disorder or heart incident is obviously not meant to be taken lightly. You will need medical advice, beginning with your cardiologist. Exams, particularly stress tests, will be carried out to determine what is recommended and possible to do. A program of activities will then be drawn up, adapted to your abilities, state of health, progress, and wishes. The latter is essential, since the enjoyment found in physical activity has multiple benefits. The program put in place will be progressive, and the intensity and duration will be reviewed over the course of the sessions.
Resuming sport must be part of a broader change of habits, which usually involves a change in diet and staying hydrated, among others.
You should always pay particular attention to the warning signs during exercise: chest pain or discomfort, fatigue, shortness of breath, etc. Connected devices (scales, watches, etc.) help to raise alerts and measure your heart rate in particular. If you have any doubts, it is essential that you stop all exercise and consult your physician.
Possible physical activity
Many activities can be practiced depending on your heart disorder. You can tell your cardiologist which ones you prefer and they can give the green light in the form of a certificate of non-contradiction.
It is however not always possible to resume certain sports after experiencing a heart problem. When surgery is necessary, for instance, a certain number of recommendations need to be observed. You should not carry heavy loads, go swimming or bike outside, in particular.
To sum up, except in certain specific cases, most activities are possible, even if some are recommended more than others. Walking is one such activity: from moderate to speed walking, it helps everyone to progress at their own pace, in a gradual, measured and safe manner. Biking, especially indoors, is excellent for strengthening the heart without overtaxing the joints, as is swimming. Sports such as yoga and tai-chi also help to improve breathing and relaxation and reduce stress.
Certain sports are nevertheless not recommended, such as strenuous activities or sports with a risk of traumatic injury, e.g. rugby, football, martial arts or diving. However, with the medical approval and regular monitoring, a person with heart trouble can resume these activities.
Many associations (see box) can help you find clubs to practice an activity in the best possible conditions, or even organize activities themselves.
Dedicated associations
A certain number of specialized associations support people suffering from heart issues, as well as their loved ones. Among them is the AMRYC, the Association des Maladies héréditaires du Rythme Cardiaque, and the Alliance du coeur, which brings together various associations across France. More specialized associations include the, Association des porteurs de dispositifs électriques cardiaques (APODEC), the l’Association pour les patients insuffisants cardiaques et leurs proches (ASPIC), and Coeur des Mamans Priorité Prévention, not forgetting the Association vie et coeur avec insuffisance cardiaque (AVEC), created for patients and their loved ones.
