Exercise training has become an important way to help people with heart failure (HF) improve their heart health and quality of life without using medications. Let’s look at how exercise helps in three main areas: how the body works, chemical changes, and physical changes.

How the Body Works Better

1. Better Heart Function:
   When people exercise regularly, their heart works better. This means the heart pumps blood more effectively. Studies say that heart failure patients who follow exercise programs can see their heart's pumping ability improve by up to 10%.

2. Better Ability to Exercise:

   • People with heart failure often improve their ability to exercise, shown by a 20-30% increase in how much oxygen their body can use during workouts.
   • This happens because their muscles get better at using oxygen, which also helps them feel less short of breath and more active.

3. Healthier Blood Vessels:

   • Exercising helps blood vessels work better by increasing a substance called nitric oxide, which helps them relax.
   • This means blood vessels become less stiff. For heart failure patients, a 12-week exercise program can make blood vessels about 15% more flexible.

Chemical Changes in the Body

1. Better Metabolism:

   • Exercise helps boost important enzymes in the body that help burn fat and use sugars more efficiently.
   • Heart failure patients can see improvements in how their bodies take in and use glucose, which is good for overall health.

2. Nerve and Hormone Balance:

   • Regular exercise helps balance the nervous system, increasing calm (parasympathetic) signals and reducing stress signals.
   • This can lower levels of certain hormones, like norepinephrine and epinephrine, which can put extra strain on the heart.

Physical Changes in the Body

1. Heart Changes:

   • Exercise can help reshape the heart by reducing its size and improving how well it holds blood.
   • Images from heart scans show that people with heart failure can have a 10% decrease in their heart size after doing moderate exercise.

2. Stronger Muscles:

   • Strength training can help people with heart failure who lose muscle mass. For older adults with heart failure, strength training can increase muscle mass by up to 15%.
   • Stronger muscles help with everyday activities and lead to an overall better quality of life.

In Summary

Exercise offers many important benefits for heart failure patients. Including a good exercise plan in their care can improve heart function, endurance, blood vessel health, and overall well-being. Research shows that even light to moderate exercise can have great health benefits and should be a key part of managing heart failure.