Importance of resistance training for patients after a cardiac event
Jenny Adams, PhD, Matthew Cline, MS, Mike Reed, MS, Amanda Masters, BS, Kay Ehlke, MS, and Julie Hartman, MS
After a myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, or angina pectoris, patients receive conflicting advice from physicians about the level of activity that is acceptable. Further complicating the scenario is that while physicians typically prescribe aerobic exercise-and particularly walking-for the purpose of avoiding further heart complications, patients are more interested in being able to return to activities of daily living. The resistance training that would lead to that outcome is rarely prescribed. Here, we argue that resistance training should be promoted following the principle of specificity. Five arguments are presented: 1) Activities of daily living require more strength than most people realize; 2) Resistance training improves patients' quality of life; 3) Resistance training has now been shown to be effective in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease; and 4) Under the supervision of experienced personnel, resistance training is safe.
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