Physical activity and recovery from cardiovascular disease: A psychological perspective

Abstract

Lack of physical activity is a key risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease, yet activity is decreasing in the modern world. Once cardiovascular disease is present, physical activity is an essential ingredient of recovery and rehabilitation. Heart patients who are regularly active have a much smaller risk of dying compared with inactive patients. Several factors have been found to be associated with the uptake and maintenance of physical inactivity in cardiovascular patients, including psychological, social, and socioeconomic factors. This chapter will first describe the effects of physical activity on post-MI survival and will subsequently examine issues which act as barriers to exercise in this population. Modern lifestyles are increasingly sedentary yet lack of physical activity is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Moderate to high activity levels offer significant protection against developing CHD via multiple pathways. Furthermore physical activity is an essential ingredient of recovery and rehabilitation after myocardial infarction (MI), with heart patients who participate in cardiac rehabilitation having far greater odds of survival. However, less than 50% of post-MI patients engage in cardiac rehabilitation. Maintaining an active lifestyle is often challenging with many factors involved, and around half of people who begin an exercise program will not continue. Several barriers to physical activity in heart patients are discussed here, including depression, low socioeconomic status, poor sense of coherence, anxiety and social support.