Walking is a very common thing in our daily life. Every day we walk to work, to school, to the supermarket, or even just to walk back and forth at home. For most people, it's a healthy form of exercise that helps keep the body active and healthy. However, for older people with impaired heart function, especially those with heart failure, walking may not be so simple. Improper walking can adversely affect the health of people with heart failure and may even worsen the condition. Therefore, for the elderly with a bad heart, especially those with heart failure, it is very important to pay attention to "proportion" when walking.
The relationship between heart failure and walking
Heart failure is a heart disease characterized by the inability of the heart to pump blood effectively, resulting in insufficient blood supply to various parts of the body. In this case, physical activity is especially important for people with heart failure, as proper exercise can help improve heart function and enhance the endurance and elasticity of the heart muscle. However, walking is not without risks for people with heart failure. Excessive activity can lead to an overstrain on the heart and even lead to a severe heart failure exacerbation or cardiac event. Therefore, mastering the proper way of walking and measuring is crucial to the health of heart failure patients.
Benefits and risks of walking
Benefit:
Walking has many benefits for people with heart failure, including but not limited to:
Promotes circulatory health: Proper walking helps to improve the circulatory system, promote blood circulation, and increase oxygen supply.
Enhance the strength of the heart muscle: Moderate exercise can strengthen the contraction force of the heart muscle and the efficiency of blood pumping, which can help reduce the burden on the heart.
Weight control: Maintaining an appropriate weight is especially important for people with heart failure, and walking is an effective light exercise that can help control weight and reduce the burden on the heart.
Risk:
However, walking also poses certain risks to people with heart failure, such as:
Overload of the heart: Excessive or inappropriate activity can overburden the heart, leading to worsening heart failure symptoms or cardiac events.
Physical overdraft: An inappropriate response from the body can lead to physical exhaustion, triggering cardiovascular events.
Increased risk of falls: People with heart failure are often accompanied by a decrease in physical activity and an increased risk of falls while walking, which can lead to fractures or other serious consequences.
How do people with heart failure walk properly?
Here are a few tips for people with heart failure to help them walk correctly and safely:
Develop an individualized exercise plan according to your doctor's instructions: Every person with heart failure has different conditions and physical conditions, and needs to develop a personalized exercise plan based on the doctor's recommendations, including the frequency, timing and intensity of walking.
Pay attention to changes in physical strength and feedback: When walking, you should always pay attention to the feedback of your body, such as heart rate changes, difficulty breathing, etc., and avoid exceeding your own tolerance.
Choose the right place and time: Choose a flat, safe road surface to walk on, and avoid walking alone in adverse weather conditions or places with few pedestrians.
Avoid sudden, strenuous exercise: Avoid strenuous exercise such as sudden pace increases or climbs to avoid triggering a cardiovascular response.
Wear the right athletic shoes: Choose well-supported, non-slip athletic shoes to reduce the risk of falls.
Why should the elderly with a bad heart pay attention to "walking in proportion"?
Elderly people with impaired heart function, especially those with heart failure, have a weakened tolerance to physical activity due to their myocardial insufficiency and decreased heart's pumping capacity. Therefore, their walking behavior in daily life needs to be paid special attention to the problem of "walking in proportion".
Heart failure may lead to decreased physical activity: People with heart failure often have symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath, which can affect their ability to walk and tolerate.
Avoid excessive exercise that can lead to increased heart stress: Excessive physical activity can lead to an overload on the heart, worsening heart failure symptoms, and even acute heart failure.
Decreased physical function, increased risk of falls in older adults: Decreased bone and muscle function, combined with reduced balance, increases the risk of falls while walking.
Need to be more mindful of your physical condition and the safety of your environment: Older people with heart disease need to be more cautious when choosing when, where and how they walk, ensuring that the environment is safe, that they are physically adequate, and that they are always ready to deal with possible discomfort.
How to properly help an elderly person with a bad heart to walk?
Understand individual differences and tailor your needs: Each elderly heart patient is different, and it is necessary to develop a suitable walking plan based on their physical condition, medical history, and doctor's recommendations.
Encourage appropriate activity: Moderate physical activity is beneficial for older people with heart disease, helping them maintain their strength and cardiorespiratory fitness, and preventing further progression of the disease.
Provide support and supervision: Appropriate support and supervision can be provided to keep older people safe and avoid accidents while they are walking.
Teach proper walking techniques: Older adults may be at increased risk due to incorrect posture when walking, so they can be provided with proper walking techniques such as maintaining an upright posture, relaxing the shoulders, etc.
Encourage social walking activities: Participating in community-organized walking activities for older adults or walking with family and friends can not only increase fun, but also help increase exercise consistency and motivation.
Regular check-ups and adjustment plans: The physical condition of older heart disease patients may change over time, so regular check-ups and adjustment of the walking plan according to the doctor's recommendations are required to maintain optimal physical condition and fitness.
Provide psychological support and encouragement: Elderly people with a bad heart may feel anxious or worried when walking and need psychological support and encouragement from family members and healthcare professionals to help them build confidence, better manage their condition and improve their quality of life.
Through the above measures, we can better help the elderly with poor heart to walk correctly and safely in their daily life, so as to improve their physical health and quality of life.