Article

Aerobic and resistance exercise training is a cornerstone of early outpatient
cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and provides impressive benefits for patients. The
components of the exercise prescription for patients with cardiovascular diseases
are provided in guideline documents from several professional organizations and
include frequency (how many sessions per week); intensity (how hard to exercise);
time (duration of the exercise training session); type (modalities of exercise
training); volume (the total amount or dose of exercise);
and progression (the
rate of increasing the dose of exercise). The least discussed, least appreciated,
and most challenging component of the exercise prescription for CR health care
professionals is the rate of progression of the dose of exercise. One reason for
this observation is the heterogeneity of patients who participate in CR. All
components of the exercise prescription should be developed specifically for each
individual patient. This statement provides an overview of the principles of
exercise prescription for patients in CR with special emphasis on the rate of
progression. General recommendations for progression are given and patient case
examples are provided to illustrate the principles of progression in exercise
training.

Langue : ANGLAIS