A Women-Focused Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program on Adherence, Health Related Physical Fitness, and Quality of Life

Four counselling sessions led by an experienced exercise physiologist will be provided. At the first session, benefits of cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR), functioning of the CR program, barriers to attendance, strategies to overcome them will be explained and discussed, leading to the choice of the best suitable CR modality/schedule. Physical activity (PA) recommendations will be discussed and an action plan to increase/maintain PA levels and decrease sedentary behaviour will be given. WFG will receive access to an online platform where 4 pre-recorded different exercise sessions will be placed, and a booklet to register weekly PA. The second session will be to discuss barriers and facilitators. For the third session PA goals will be re-established, a new action plan constructed and strategies to overcome barriers given. For the final session, overall feedback, results of the intervention, satisfaction, doubts, knowledge acquired and recommendations for the future will be discussed.

Five pre-recorded women-focused educational sessions will be placed in an online platform at the end of each month. There will be a first short session explaining the importance of cardiovascular rehabilitation, followed by four sessions regarding: women and cardiovascular disease, benefits of physical exercise in women, women and mental health and women and healthy eating. Each session will have a duration of 10/15 minutes and will be delivered by specialized professionals according to the theme (cardiologists, exercise physiologists, nutritionists, psychologists). After every session, a short Likert-type questionnaire will be applied to assess what they thought of the topic in terms of importance and what they have learned.

Participants will exercise 2-3 times/week (60 min/session), on non-consecutive days, for 6 months (weekly target of 10 kcal/kg). Blood pressure and heart rate (HR) will be measured before and after each session. During exercise, a HR chest strap (POLAR H10) will be used to monitor HR and control intensity. Aerobic prescription will be based on the baseline cardiopulmonary exercise test, each session will start with a 5'-10' minutes warm-up - low to moderate intensity \[\<40% of HR Reserve (HRR), 9-10 Rated Perceived Exertion Borg Scale (RPE)\], mobility and low impact exercises, followed by a 30'-45' minutes of combined training with an aerobic component - moderate intensity (40% to 59% of HRR; 12-14 RPE) using ergometers, aerobic exercises, walking/jogging; and a strength component - 8/10 exercises, 30-80% of 1-Repetition Maximum, 12-15 repetitions, 2 sets - ending with a 5'-10' minute cool down - static/dynamic stretching exercises for all major muscle groups.