Home exercises

for people with

heart failure

The Heart Failure Self Management Pilot Project is supported by

funding from the Department of Health and Ageing through the
‘Sharing Health Care Initiative’
This home exercise program is for people with heart
failure. Exercise is an important part of heart failure
management, as it helps control and improve
symptoms.

Important points to remember

These exercises are only general. For people who have any pre-
existing injuries or other medical conditions which may effect you
exercising, please consult your doctor or physiotherapist/exercise
physiologist before using this pamphlet.

• If you experience angina, chest pains, shortness of breath,

coughing, dizziness or a rapid heart rate STOP exercising and
manage symptoms according to your management plan.

• When this exercise program becomes too easy, see your

exercise physiologist, cardiac educator/heart failure nurse or
physiotherapist for further exercises.

• Try to do your exercises early in the morning or late in the

evening to avoid the heat of the day.

• Activities such as water activities and cycling should be included

if you are able, but keep in mind the weather and time of day
you are exercising.

• Remember to eat a healthy diet. Along with exercise, it helps to

improve your quality of life.

• Exercise with friends, family or pets to try and keep active

and motivated.

• Exercise should feel like you are putting in effort but always at
a comfortable level. You should not be feeling overly breathless
or that the exercise is too hard or difficult.

• An exercise program is part of a management plan for heart

failure. See your doctor or cardiac educator for additional
information about how to manage heart conditions in the
community.
 Home exercises for people with heart failure

Warm up
Warm up by going for a 5 minute walk.
Remember if you can still talk while you are
exercising, you are exercising within your
safety limit.

If you have difficulty walking for 5 minutes,

keep track of how long you can walk for so
you can see improvements.
 Home exercises for people with heart failure

Stretches
All stretches should ideally be held between
15-30 seconds. The stretch should be a comfortable strain
on the muscle, not a painful sensation.

Calf Stretch
Supporting yourself against a wall or
a chair, place one leg behind the other.
Ensure the heel on the back leg is
touching the floor. Bend the front leg
at the knee. You should feel a stretch
in the calf of your back leg.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat on opposite leg.

Groin Stretch
Spread your legs apart, just wider than
shoulder width. Keep both feet flat on the
ground, toes pointing forward. Begin to
lean to one side. Make sure the knee of the
bent leg is over the top of the toes on that
leg. You should feel a stretch in the groin
of the opposite leg.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat on opposite leg.
 Stretches
Home exercises for people with heart failure

Quad Stretch
Grab your ankle and pull heel
of your foot towards your
buttock. If this is not possible,
face away from a chair and
place your foot on the chair,
as per picture. You should feel
stretch down front of leg.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat for opposite leg.

Calf/Hamstring Stretch
Place one foot out in front of you,
put your heel on ground with
your toes facing towards the sky.
Keeping your leg straight, lean
forward as far as comfortable and
try to touch your outstretched foot.
You should feel a stretch down the
back of your leg.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat with opposite leg.
Triceps Stretch
Bend one arm over your head.
Use the other arm to push the arm
back and hold. You should feel a
stretch down the back side of your
bent arm.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat on opposite arm.
 Stretches
Home exercises for people with heart failure

Sternum Stretch
Holding hands together behind back, with back
straight push your shoulders, back and chest out.
You should feel a stretch through your chest.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Note: People who have undergone any kind of open

heart surgery recently may find this difficult to
begin with, but it is an important stretch. Only bring
it to the point where you can feel the stretch.

Shoulder Stretch
Place one arm straight across your body, use
the other arm to pull it in and hold. You should
feel a stretch in the shoulder of the arm going
across your body.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat with opposite arm.

Back and Shoulder Stretch

Hold your hands together in front of yourself.
Keep your back straight and push your
shoulders out, try to push your hands away
from your body as much as comfortable.

Hold for 15-20 seconds, relax and

then repeat 3-5 times.
 Home exercises for people with heart failure

Exercises
Repeat exercises 2-4 times through the day as you are able.
As you improve, increase the number of times (repetitions) you
do the exercise. Start with 3-5 repetitions.

Remember as long as you can speak comfortably while you are

exercising, you are not over exerting. Remember to breathe
while you are exercising; do not hold your breath.

Calf Raises
Support yourself against a wall or
chair, raise yourself onto your toes
and then lower yourself back down
onto your heels.

Remember to go at a slow
controlled speed.

Repeat 3-5 times.

Chair Exercises
Sit in a chair, (only use a stable
chair, preferably with arm rests
as well). Get in and out of the
chair 8-10 times or as many
times as possible.

Alternative: If you suffer from

knee injuries or your knees get sore,
simply sit in a chair and raise each
leg out in front of you, 1 at a time.

Repeat 8-10 times or as many

times as comfortable.
 Exercises
Home exercises for people with heart failure

Bicep Exercises
Stand straight up while holding a
water bottle. Keeping your upper
arm still, bend at the elbow so the
bottle almost touches your shoulder.

Repeat 3-5 times then change arms.

Start off with 300mL of water in the bottle,

add 100mL each time the exercise becomes
too easy. Once bottle is full and the exercise is
easy, repeat 15 times for each arm.

Balance
Begin by supporting yourself with
a wall or chair. Take one foot off
the ground, and try to balance for
5-10 seconds.

Repeat on the opposite leg. When

you become confident, try increasing
the time you balance for.

Wall Push-Ups
Standing facing a wall, with hands
placed slightly wider apart than your
shoulder width, lean towards the wall
using arms for support, then push
away back to original position.
You should feel it exercising your
chest muscles.

Repeat 3-5 times.

 Exercises
Home exercises for people with heart failure

Core Muscle Exercises

Stand with your back against a wall. Make
sure that your head, buttock and the back of
your feet are all touching the wall for support.
Tense all of your stomach muscles and try to
pull your belly-button towards your spine.

Hold for 10-15 seconds or a long as comfortable.

Repeat 3-5 times.

Wall Squats
Stand with your back against the
wall with your feet a shoulder
width apart. Make sure your feet
are about half a metre away from
the wall. Bend at the knees to the
point where you can feel you are
comfortably supporting your weight.
Then return to original standing
position.

Hand-eye Co-ordination
If you have a tennis ball or soft bouncy
ball available, spend a few minutes trying
to improve your co-ordination. Throwing
it up in the air and catching it, bouncing
it to yourself, throwing it from one hand
to another or playing catch with a friend,
relative or pet. Try to improve the number
of times you can do it without dropping it.
Remember always stay within your limits.
 Home exercises for people with heart failure

Theraband
Theraband exercises should be performed every second day. All
these exercises should be repeated 10-15 times. Ensure that you
control each movement in both directions and that you do not
release the tension in the theraband at any time.

Gradually increase the repetitions you do till the exercises are easy.
This is when you should have a review of your exercise program.

Bicep Curls
Place the centre of the theraband
under your foot with ends in each hand.
Start with arms parallel to your body
and while keeping your upper arms
parallel to the body, bend your elbow
and bring your forearms up towards your
shoulders. Lower your forearms back
down to run parallel with your body,
being sure to have control over
the movement.

Front Raise
With the theraband under one foot,
hold onto both ends with your hands.
Start with your arms straight by your
side, raise your arms by pulling against
the theraband. Keep your arms
straight, using your shoulders as
the pivot points.
 Theraband
Home exercises for people with heart failure

Upwards Row
With the theraband under one
foot with your arms hanging
vertically in front of you, hold
both ends and pull directly up so
your hands reach your chin while
your elbows point horizontally
out from your shoulders.
Slowly lower back down.

Straight Arms in Front

– medial to lateral
Wrap the theraband around
both hands so there is about
a shoulder width of band
remaining. Hold in front of you
with arms down and straight.
Keeping your arms straight, pull
them out to the sides and
slowly back in.

Straight Arms Behind

– medial to lateral
Behind your back, wrap the
theraband around both hands
so there is about a shoulder
width of band remaining.
Hold your arms down and
straight. Keeping them
straight, pull out to the sides
and back to the centre slowly.
 Theraband
Home exercises for people with heart failure

Tricep Extension
Hold one end of the theraband
at your left shoulder with your
right hand and, keeping your
upper arm still and moving your
forearm only, pull down on the
other end with your left hand.
Perform on other side as well.

‘X’ in the air

Hold both arms straight
out in front of you
with about 30cm of
theraband between
them. Keeping your
arms straight, pull apart
diagonally then again
in the other diagonal
plane, creating an ‘X’
in the air.

Leg Extensions
Tie the theraband in a loop
around a pole, at about ankle
height. With your back facing
the pole and one foot in the
loop pull your leg forward with
the knee slightly bent as if to
kick a ball then return back to
the starting position slowly.
 Home exercises for people with heart failure

Cool Down
Walk around for 2-5 minutes, then repeat stretches for your cool down.

Calf Stretch
Supporting yourself against a wall or a chair,
place one leg behind the other. Ensure the
heel on the back leg is touching the floor.
Bend the front leg at your knee. You should
feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat on opposite leg.

Groin Stretch
Spread your legs apart, just wider than shoulder
width. Keep both feet flat on the ground, with
your toes pointing forward. Begin to lean to one
side. Make sure the knee of the bent leg is over
the top of the toes on that leg. You should feel a
stretch in the groin of the opposite leg.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat on opposite leg.

Quad Stretch
Grab ankle and pull the heel of your
foot towards your buttock. If this is not
possible, face away from a chair place
lower leg on chair. You should feel
stretch down the front of your leg.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat for opposite leg.
 Cool Down
Home exercises for people with heart failure

Triceps Stretch
Bend one arm over your head.
Use the other arm to push your
arm back and hold. You should feel
a stretch down the back side of
your bent arm.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat on opposite arm.

Shoulder Stretch
Place one arm straight across your
body, using the other arm to pull it in
and hold. You should feel a stretch
in your shoulder of your arm going
across your body.

Hold for 15-20 seconds.

Repeat with opposite arm.

Lower Back Stretch

Laying flat on your back, in
a place which is comfortable,
such as a bed or the floor.
Bend your knees so your
feet move towards your
buttock. Keeping your knees
together and your back flat
on the ground, slowly lower
your knees to one side, then
the other. You should feel a
stretch in your lower back.

Repeat for 15-20 seconds.

 4 Week Program Warm Up Stretches Exercises Therabands Cool Down
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Record

Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Home exercises for people with heart failure

Friday
Saturday
Sunday
 Home exercises for people with heart failure

Healthy Living NT Offices

Darwin
Shop 1&2 Tiwi Place, Tiwi, NT 0810
PO BOX 40113, Casuarina, NT 0811
Email: info@healthylivingnt.org.au
Ph: (08) 8927 8488
Fax: (08) 8927 8515

Alice Springs
7/16 Hartley Street (Jock Nelson Centre)
Alice Springs, NT 0870
PO BOX 3695, Alice Springs, NT 0871
Email: alicesprings@healthylivingnt.org.au
Ph: (08) 8952 8000
Fax: (08) 8952 7000

www.healthylivingnt.org.au

Bodyfit NT

Darwin
The Pumphouse, level 1, 39 Stokes Hill Road, Darwin City
PO BOX 2041, Parap, NT, 0804
Email: kia@bodyfitnt.com.au
Ph: (08) 8981 2886
Fax: (08) 8981 2887
Mob: 0412 555 754
www.bodyfitnt.com.au

This resource was produced by:

Kathryn Frawley – Heart Failure Nurse, Healthy Living NT
Chrissie Inglis – Cardiac Rehabilitation Coordinator/Educator,
Healthy Living NT
Kia Naylor – Exercise Physiologist, BodyFit NT
And based on an original resource developed by:
Jae Humphrey – (Exercise and Sport Science Student)
Chrissie Inglis – Cardiac Rehabilitation Coordinator/Educator,
Healthy Living NT and reviewed by:
Kia Naylor – Exercise Physiologist, BodyFit NT
Stuart Semple – Exercise Physiologist, CDU
Cardiac Rehabilitation Advisory Committee

The Heart Failure Self Management Pilot Project is supported by

www.kristydaygraphicdesign.com funding from the Department of Health and Ageing through the
‘Sharing Health Care Initiative’