Physical Activity in Heart Failure: A Narrative Review on Barriers, Evaluation and Development Methods

Heart failure develops due to cardiac dysfunction and forms the final stage of cardiovascular disorders. The importance of regular physical activity in the management of heart failure is emphasized due to the biological, psychological, and social benefits, and it is recommended that various exercise approaches be adapted to patients diagnosed with heart failure. However, clinicians need to consider barriers such as symptom severity (dyspnea, fatigue, etc.), gender, motivation, preparation, seasonal conditions, and financial reasons for physical activity. The activity level can be evaluated with questionnaires, diaries from subjective methods, pedometers, and accelerometers from objective methods. Supervised exercise (moderate intensity-continuous exercise training, high-low-intensity interval training, respiratory muscle training, strength training, or Tai Chi), e-Health applications, Exergaming, or heart age calculators improve physical activity in individuals with sedentary heart failure physical activity programs that combine behavior change, cardiac risk management, and patient education should be implemented in group or center-based settings, accompanied by a multidisciplinary team, to gain an active lifestyle in patients with heart failure.