Design and methods of the Gentle Cardiac Rehabilitation Study - A behavioral study of tai chi exercise for patients not attending cardiac rehabilitation

摘要

Introduction: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs reduce overall and cardiovascular mortality in patients with a history of acute coronary events or revascularization procedures, but only 30% of patients enroll in CR and attrition rates reach up to 60%. Tai chi, a mind-body practice based on light/moderate aerobic exercise accompanied by meditative components could be a possible exercise option for patients who do not attend CR.