Key result
Alternative physical activities like yoga improve quality of life and exercise capacity in cardiac rehab.
Why the study?
Physical activities in cardiac rehabilitation are mainly based on ergometers or treadmill, but several other activities have been studied for coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure.
Do alternative physical activities improve outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure undergoing cardiac rehabilitation?
Do alternative physical activities improve outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure undergoing cardiac rehabilitation?
Alternative physical activities beyond biking and running offer beneficial effects on quality of life and risk factors in cardiac rehabilitation.
May broaden cardiac rehabilitation options; leaves open need for randomized confirmation before practice change.
The physical activities practiced during a cardiac rehabilitation program are mainly based on ergometers or treadmill.Several other activities have been studied for coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure.Tai chi was studied in congestive heart failure but did not show a significant improvement for peak V02 even though beneficial effects were observed for the quality of life, the 6 min walk test, the level of BNP.Yoga life-style program has been studied after coronary artery by pass surgery, it improved significantly left ventricle ejection fraction and secondary outcomes (body mass index, lipid profile in particular a reduction in LDL), psychological variables with a significant improvement in different questionnaires of quality of life, Hospital anxiety and depression (HADS) -anxiety, HADS-depression , perceived stress scale (PSS) and positive and negative affect scale (PANAS)-negative.Yoga showed beneficial effects of yoga in relevant end-points in particular for the management of risk factors.Walking football adapted to patients has been proposed but not in cardiac rehabilitation centers and limited data are available with beneficial effects on secondary end-points (body fat mass, reduced percentage body fat and an increase in time of volutional exhaustion.Waltz dance showed beneficial effects on V02, VE/VC02 slope, V02/W slope, endothelium-dependant relaxation, HDL and triglycerides ejection fraction measured by echocardiography and the quality of life (Minessota heart failure living questionnaire MHFLQ, NYHA class).Nordic walking was tested as an alternative in heart failure patients .Telehealth exercise seems as effective as in rehabilitation centers but future studies needed to be performed to determine the beneficial effects.Even if biking and running are the main activities there is a vast field of research for additional or alternatives physical activities.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
A 2021 study conducted a review in Coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Alternative physical activities (tai chi, yoga, walking football, waltz dance) vs. Traditional cardiac rehabilitation (biking and running) was evaluated on Cardiorespiratory fitness, quality of life, and cardiovascular events (varies by included study). Alternative physical activities such as tai chi, yoga, and waltz dancing provide beneficial effects on quality of life and exercise capacity, offering viable alternatives to traditional biking and running in cardiac rehabilitation.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: