Exercise and Training
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Exercise Importance and Risks of Exercise and Training

IMPORTANT! Anyone with congenital heart disease, repaired or non-repaired, should consult with their cardiologist about physical activity to review the risks.

Despite the potential risks involved in physical activity for persons with congenital heart disease, the social, psychological, and physical benefits are significant. Therefore, it is important to determine safe levels and forms of activity for each patient. In order to do this, testing is performed, often using a treadmill or bicycle. Measurements are taken for blood pressure, oxygen usage, and the effects on the electrocardiogram (ECG) for different levels of activity. This will give the physician important clues about what limits are advisable.

The guidelines a patient receives will depend on the type of congenital heart disease, its seriousness, and the patient's history and current condition. However, some general comments can be made about exercise and common forms of CHD:

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