Cardiac Rehabilitation: Weight and Resistance Training

Topic Overview

Resistance training with weights, elastic bands, or your own body weight may help you regain the physical strength and confidence to do the daily tasks you performed before your heart problem or surgery. Resistance training can help you get the most benefit from your cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) program.

Do not start a strength-training program without discussing it with your doctor. Your doctor can help make sure your training program is as safe as possible for you. Everyone is different. So you, your doctor, and your cardiac rehab team will create an exercise program that fits with your health risks and your fitness level.

A physical therapist or other rehab professional can carefully design and monitor a program that's right for your level of injury and fitness. They will help teach you how to train with weights and will check to make sure you are exercising safely.

You might do weight training 2 or 3 days each week. You will start with light weights and add more weight as you get stronger. You will likely do 8 to 10 different exercises that work the major muscle groups. These exercises may include the chest press, leg press, and biceps curl.