For people who suffer from a chronic disease, exercise can decrease discomfort, improve daily functioning and enhance overall quality of life. Here's how different types of exercise can help people with different chronic diseases.
There are two basic kinds of exercise:
Aerobic exercise
- exercises that raise your heart rate through repetitive movement of large muscles groups. The two types of aerobic exercise are:
-
Weightbearing - your muscles work against the force of gravity. Examples:
jogging
,
walking
, dancing.
-
Nonweightbearing - the force of gravity does not play a major role. Examples:
biking
, swimming, rowing.
Strength training exercise
- exercises that increase the power, tone, and efficiency of individual muscles by contracting isolated muscles against resistance. For example: lifting weights. The increase in heart rate is short-lived compared to aerobic exercise.
For people with coronary artery disease (CAD), regular exercise reduces the risk of having a heart attack, says Carol Ewing Garber, PhD, associate professor of cardiopulmonary and exercise science at the Bouve College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston.
Specific benefits of exercise for people with heart disease include:
- Stronger heart muscle
- Fewer incidences of angina
- Reduced plaque build-up inside the arteries
- Better weight and blood pressure control
Type of exercise:
aerobic. If you have heart disease, you should talk to your physician before starting an exercise program.
Cholesterol
is a soft, waxy substance found in cells throughout your body. Although it tends to get a bad rap, cholesterol is actually essential for life. It only contributes to heart disease when you have too much of certain types of cholesterol or too little of other types.
According to Richard Stein, MD, spokesperson for the American Heart Association, regular aerobic exercise will raise the "good" cholesterol (HDL) and moderately decrease the "bad" cholesterol (LDL). He emphasizes that when exercise is combined with a healthy, low-fat diet, these changes can be significant.
Type of exercise:
aerobic
Diabetes is a disorder of the body's insulin production and usage, and it is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease. "Exercise improves the sensitivity of the body's cells to insulin and therefore, improves blood glucose control, as well as many other cardiovascular risk factors," says Charlotte Hayes, MMSc, RD, a certified diabetes educator.
Types of exercise:
aerobic and strength training
"Moderate exercise has been shown to control blood pressure by increasing the efficiency of the circulatory system," says Marlene Janco, MS, RD, a consultant who promotes the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease. "The blood pressure lowers because the heart muscle pumps better, the blood vessels are more relaxed, the heart requires less oxygen to work, and the kidneys function better."
Types of exercise:
aerobic
A stroke occurs when not enough blood is reaching part of the brain. This causes the cells in that area to die. "A high intensity workout developed to meet the specific needs of the individual is a key element in helping a patient recover from a stroke," says Susan Barker, MS, PT, NCS, associate professor of physical therapy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
Exercise may help brain cells near the stroke area get more oxygen, and it may improve strength and coordination of the affected muscles.
Type of exercise:
aerobic, strength training and stretching. However, this will vary greatly depending on the severity of the stroke and the person's limitations.
"Physical activity is a missing link for many people in treatment for cancer," says Diane Doster, MS, founder of CancerFit in Sedona, Arizona. "Moderate exercise combats fatigue and reduces nausea and depression." Studies suggest that cancer patients who do not have depression have a better chance of survival than those who do.
Types of exercise:
aerobic and strength training
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is the most common form of lung disease. Exercise improves quality of life for patients with COPD by increasing:
- Exercise capacity
- Breathing efficiency
- Muscles' oxygen uptake
- Flow of air when exhaling
Types of exercise:
aerobic.
Continuous motion is essential for the health of your joints, especially arthritic ones. Regular exercise promotes strength and flexibility, and helps preserve the resiliency of joint surfaces. This is especially important in the legs and feet where breakdown of joint cartilage contributes to osteoarthritis.
Types of exercise:
nonweightbearing aerobic and strength training. Water exercises are ideal.
"Bones are alive and constantly under construction, as well as demolition," says Michael LeRoux, MS, DC, founder of Ocean State Chiropractic and Sports Rehabilitation in Providence, Rhode Island. Weightbearing exercises maintain bone density and strength by tipping the balance in favor of bone formation.
Felicia Cosman, MD, clinical director for the National Osteoporosis Foundation adds that muscle strength is just as important as bone strength, because it helps prevent falls—a major cause of fractures.
Type of exercise:
weightbearing aerobic and strength training
