[Sports in the heart rehabilitation group--experiences with ambulatory rehabilitation at home].

Regular physical exercise has shown to be beneficial for patients with cardiovascular disease. Therefore cardiac rehabilitation in Germany is continued for years after hospital discharge in outpatient cardiac exercise groups which meet twice a week under the guidance of a physician and a sports instructor. Before participation cardiac patients have to be examined including exercise tests and echocardiography for assessment of contraindications for exercise therapy as well as individual exercise capacity. Patients are assigned to two groups with different levels of exercise intensity according to their symptom-free work-capacity (cutoff level 1 W/kg). During exercise sessions sports-specific forms of exercise such as stretching, aerobic exercise or ball games are accompanied by psychosocial elements such as stress management. This global approach is intended to improve cardiovascular risk factors, cardiac function, and work capacity as well as to stabilize the patient psychologically in order to accelerate social integration. Recently these groups have opened towards patients after cardiac transplantation or with severe heart failure. Therefore, cardiac exercise groups play a central role in cardiac rehabilitation long after the acute cardiac event.