Table 1. Structured Exercise Program for Peripheral Artery Disease

Structured exercise program
Supervised exercise therapy (COR I, LOE A)• Program takes place in a hospital or outpatient facility.• Program uses intermittent walking exercise as the treatment modality.• Program can be standalone or within a cardiac rehabilitation program.• Program is directly supervised by qualified healthcare provider(s).• Training is performed for a minimum of 30–45 min/session; sessions are performed at least 3 times/week for a minimum of 12 weeks.• Training involves intermittent bouts of walking to moderate-to-maximum claudication, alternating with periods of rest.• Warm-up and cool-down periods precede and follow each session of walking.
Structured community- or home-based exercise program (COR IIa, LOE A)• Program takes place in the personal setting of the patient rather than in a clinical setting.• Program is self-directed with guidance of healthcare providers.• Healthcare providers prescribe an exercise regimen similar to that of a supervised program.• Patient counseling ensures understanding of how to begin and maintain the program and how to progress the difficulty of the walking (by increasing distance or speed).• Program may incorporate behavioral change techniques, such as health coaching or use of activity monitors

Structured exercise program

Supervised exercise therapy (COR I, LOE A)• Program takes place in a hospital or outpatient facility.• Program uses intermittent walking exercise as the treatment modality.• Program can be standalone or within a cardiac rehabilitation program.• Program is directly supervised by qualified healthcare provider(s).• Training is performed for a minimum of 30–45 min/session; sessions are performed at least 3 times/week for a minimum of 12 weeks.• Training involves intermittent bouts of walking to moderate-to-maximum claudication, alternating with periods of rest.• Warm-up and cool-down periods precede and follow each session of walking.

Structured community- or home-based exercise program (COR IIa, LOE A)• Program takes place in the personal setting of the patient rather than in a clinical setting.• Program is self-directed with guidance of healthcare providers.• Healthcare providers prescribe an exercise regimen similar to that of a supervised program.• Patient counseling ensures understanding of how to begin and maintain the program and how to progress the difficulty of the walking (by increasing distance or speed).• Program may incorporate behavioral change techniques, such as health coaching or use of activity monitors

COR, class of recommendation; LOE, level of evidence