Promotion of Physical Activity and Cardiac Rehabilitation for the Management of Cardiovascular Disease

- Physical activity (PA) can mitigate the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at the individual and national levels.
- Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs are effective in guiding patients with CVD to safely and sustainably incorporate lifestyle PA changes.
- Nurse practitioners (NPs) can use traditional and novel forms of CR through enhanced awareness and increased referral rates.
- NPs can offer personalized PA prescriptions for the management of patients with CVD.
- Learning and using updated PA guidelines can aid NPs in tailoring and monitoring PA regimens for patients with CVD.

National rates of cardiovascular disease continue to increase, whereas levels of physical activity (PA) remain discouragingly low, representing lost opportunity for effective lifestyle management. When equipped with knowledge of recent guidelines and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) options, nurse practitioners will be poised to most effectively manage patients with cardiovascular disease through PA measures. Towards this end, this article will overview the 1) benefits of PA; 2) advantages, safety, structure, and qualifying diagnoses for CR; 3) efforts to increase CR referral and participation; 4) alternatives and supplements to traditional CR programs; and 5) principles and guidance for prescribing PA outside of the CR setting.