Hello Fitness Family! Today in my series about how exercise can help manage different conditions, I want to talk about congestive heart failure. Many of the conditions I’ve covered in the last ten months have a correlational relationship with exercise, and CHF is no different.

Correlation relationships mean that as one variable in the relationship changes, we tend to see changes in the other. When dealing with congestive heart failure, exercise has a strong correlational relationship. Meaning that when someone with the condition becomes more active, the symptoms and severity of CHF tend to decrease. This is especially important for CHF because it is often the end product of other poorly managed issues.

Congestive heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart is not longer able to pump efficiently. Because the heart is moving less blood overall, fluid tends to build up in the body. In the earlier stages, we usually see swelling in the extremities, especially the feet and lower legs. As the disease progresses, though, fluid builds up in organ tissue, most dangerously in the lungs.

The buildup of fluid puts a lot of stress on the liver and kidneys which must be more active in their waste removal and filtering roles to accommodate. Fluid in the lungs presents a huge problem for breathing. With fluid in the lung tissue, oxygen cannot properly get into the blood and carbon dioxide can’t be removed. Body tissues need oxygen to work and carbon dioxide is toxic at increased levels.

As I mentioned previously, CHF is often times the end product of other issues that haven’t been properly overseen. High blood pressure or cholesterol that is not well managed through diet modifications or medication can absolutely lead to CHF. Diabetes is another condition that can lead to CHF if not attended to well.

In other words, the most important role exercise can play in CHF is preventative. Exercising regularly helps control the progression of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. Basically, moving your body helps keep these conditions in check so that they don’t progress further. Exercise helps your heart learn to work more efficiently. Exercise helps the body rid itself of excess cholesterol. And exercise has an insulin-like effect that moves glucose into the cells.

I am, and will probably always be, firmly in the camp that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In this case, though, exercise and regular movement is important if you have progressed to full blown CHF. All of the reasons listed above still apply. Exercise is amazing at forcing your body to become more efficient. In addition, exercise helps move fluid out of the body.

As the heart has to pump more forcefully and more frequently to support exercise, it will naturally be able to move more fluid. This allows the kidneys and liver to do their jobs and decide how much fluid our body should hang onto. As your body temperature rises, you will also start to sweat. Sweat is a natural release for extra fluid. It’s why wrestlers use the sauna to try and make weight.

Like many of the conditions I’ve talked about, though, there is a needle to thread here. Because the heart is in a weakened state with congestive heart failure, intense or very long bouts of exercise aren’t recommended. If you can tolerate 30 minutes of slow, steady state activity, go ahead. Walking, stationary biking, and swimming are usually some of the most beneficial exercises to start with.

If you can’t tolerate those mid-range bouts as fatigue is often a complicating factor with CHF, you want to go as long as you can while still being able to hold a conversation. Even if that’s only five or ten minutes. Start somewhere. And build up slowly.

Rhythmic cardiovascular exercises, like the ones suggested above, are best. However, many people see huge benefits from Tai Chi or slow, flowing yoga. Chair yoga is especially useful for building stamina and strength while working through fatigue. If strength training seems engaging, you certainly can as long as the weight you are lifting allows you to breathe easily through each repetition.

Congestive heart failure is another one of those conditions that benefits so much from exercise as long as you are willing to start slowly, listen to your body, and build up over time.

Until next time, move well friends!

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