Women prefer flexible lifestyle program for cardiac rehabilitation

Canada: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women worldwide; in 2015 it accounted for one-third of all female deaths.Following a cardiac event such as a heart attack, patients are advised to attend cardiac rehabilitation for exercise training, lifestyle education, smoking cessation, and psychological support. These programs improve fitness, quality of life, mental health and survival, and reduce the risk of further events. But several factors prevent women from attending such programs.

A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology mentions flexible lifestyle programs for modern women that fit their busy schedules.

"Women tend to prioritize others before themselves," stated senior author Dr. Jennifer Reed of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Canada. "The realities of modern life require women to address multiple family, community, social and work-related demands. As a result, many feel they do not have time for cardiac rehabilitation."

Multiple barriers to participation had been identified too. Some women view cardiac rehabilitation as a "men's club". Classes are at set times and incompatible with women's daily schedules. Women do not enjoy the physical activity offered and it does not fit their needs: some find it too physically demanding, while others want it to be more challenging. Women frequently lack social support and feel guilty for deserting their families. Classes are often at hospitals far from home; women without a car and poor access to public transportation do not want to inconvenience others to drive them.

Hence the authors identified ways to modernize cardiac rehabilitation and make it more attractive to women which includes:

• Offer enjoyable physical activity such as Zumba, soccer, group walking, tai chi, qigong, technology-based balance exercises (e.g. Wii Fit), dancing, and Nordic walking.

• Tailor classes to ability: older women may benefit from exercises to help them perform daily activities (e.g. dressing, reaching a cupboard, moving in and out of a chair or bed) and reduce their risk of falls, while younger women may prefer more challenging activities such as high-intensity interval training.

• Provide flexible class times that are compatible with women's busy schedules. For example, offer daily exercise sessions and encourage women to attend two to three times a week, or modify the activity depending on the weather (e.g. outdoor walking or indoor DVD dancing).

• Hold classes closer to participants' home, workplace or faith-based institution.

• Promote social interactions through group activities (e.g. healthy recipe preparation) and allow partners, friends, and family members to join in.