Table 3.

Core components of an exercise and rehabilitation program

Time	Aerobic
	Exercise Intensity	RPE	Target HR	Exercise Frequency/Duration	Exercise Mode
Month 1	mild-to-moderate	11–13	50–75% HR max or reserve	3–4 times per week (alt. days), 20–30 min per session	(semi)recumbent bicycle
Month 2	moderate	13–14	up to 75% HR max or reserve	extend duration by 1–5 min every 3–4 weeks, add a bout of exercise per week every 3–4 weeks	gradually progress to rowing, swimming, or upright cycling
Month 3	moderate-to-high	14–16	75–85% HR max or reserve	≥3–4 times per week, 45–60 min per session	treadmill walking or jogging

RPE, rating of perceived exertion (subjective rating of the entire cardio workout on a scale of 6–20: 6 is very, very easy; 11 is fairly easy; 13 is somewhat hard; 15 is hard; 17 is very hard; 19 is very, very hard). HR, heart rate. Additional time should be added to each exercise session to allow for at least a 5 minutes warm up and 5 minutes cool down both performed at low intensity (e.g., RPE=6–9).