Physiological responses to low-intensity cardiac rehabilitation exercises.

This study determined the oxygen consumption, heart rate, and blood pressure responses in healthy subjects to calisthenic exercises designed for convalescing patients with cardiac problems. Comparisons of the different exercises showed intersubject variability in oxygen consumption per unit of body weight and in cardiovascular responses. The exercises showing the greatest variability in oxygen consumption, however, were not always the exercises with the greatest variability in heart rate and blood pressure. Upper extremity exercises tended to evoke a greater demand on the cardiovascular system, especially if the isometric component was large. These data suggest the necessity of carefully monitoring cardiovascular response when using a variety of calisthenic exercises in the rehabilitation of patients such as those with cardiac limitations and should provide useful information for prescribing exercise.