Cardiac Rehab is a program designed to strengthen your heart muscle slowly and progressively after a damaging event, such as a heart attack, stent placement, or heart failure. Cardiac Rehab is a medically supervised program that includes education about nutrition, lifestyle changes, and personalized activity goals. All cardiac rehab sessions are completed with a medical doctor (MD) in the facility and directed by Registered Nurses (RN), who have been specially trained. Your exercise sessions will be completed with an RN, who will help you determine the pace of exercise, while your heart is being monitored. You will also have formal education program, including videos and hands on sessions with a Registered Dietician (RD).
A Medical Provider’s referral is necessary to begin cardiac rehab. If your body is run down and deconditioned, sometimes you will need to work with Physical Therapy (PT) first to increase your strength and endurance. Cardiac Rehab benefits include improvements in blood pressure, lab values, mood, and ability to complete home and daily tasks. In addition, you can set fitness goals, such as golfing, vacuuming, gardening, etc, and work towards reaching those goals!