Your doctor may recommend cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) to help
you recover from a heart attack or heart surgery. This is a total
program for heart health that includes exercise training, education
on heart healthy living, and counseling to reduce stress and help you
return to an active life.
Getting involved in a cardiac rehab program is an excellent idea.
A recent study showed that people who participated in cardiac
rehab were 50 percent more likely to survive 3 years after a heart
attack than those who didn’t participate. Cardiac rehab can help to
strengthen your heart, reduce the risks of a future heart attack, and
return you as quickly as possible to your normal daily activities.
Almost everyone with heart disease can benefit from some kind of
cardiac rehabilitation. No one is too old or too young to benefit.
Women are helped by cardiac rehab as much as men are.
Getting Started
Cardiac rehab often begins in the hospital after a heart attack or
heart surgery, with very gentle physical activity and counseling on
adjusting to life at home. Once you leave the hospital, you can
continue to participate in cardiac rehab on an outpatient basis.
Outpatient programs may be located at your hospital, in a medical
center, or in a community facility such as a YMCA. Some people
continue cardiac rehabilitation at home. Regardless of the location,
your cardiac rehab team—which may include doctors, nurses,
exercise specialists, dietitians and counselors—will help you to
create a safe exercise plan, as well as provide information and
encouragement to control your risk factors.
You will need your doctor’s approval to get started in cardiac rehab.
But not all doctors bring up the topic with their heart patients, espe-
cially women. Research indicates that women are only about half as
likely as men to participate in cardiac rehab programs. This is wor-
risome, because nonparticipation increases the risk of having second
and often fatal heart attacks. So be sure to tell your doctor or nurse
that you’re interested in cardiac rehabilitation. Talk with them
about your specific needs and preferences, and ask for a referral that
is a good fit for you.
you recover from a heart attack or heart surgery. This is a total
program for heart health that includes exercise training, education
on heart healthy living, and counseling to reduce stress and help you
return to an active life.
Getting involved in a cardiac rehab program is an excellent idea.
A recent study showed that people who participated in cardiac
rehab were 50 percent more likely to survive 3 years after a heart
attack than those who didn’t participate. Cardiac rehab can help to
strengthen your heart, reduce the risks of a future heart attack, and
return you as quickly as possible to your normal daily activities.
Almost everyone with heart disease can benefit from some kind of
cardiac rehabilitation. No one is too old or too young to benefit.
Women are helped by cardiac rehab as much as men are.
Getting Started
Cardiac rehab often begins in the hospital after a heart attack or
heart surgery, with very gentle physical activity and counseling on
adjusting to life at home. Once you leave the hospital, you can
continue to participate in cardiac rehab on an outpatient basis.
Outpatient programs may be located at your hospital, in a medical
center, or in a community facility such as a YMCA. Some people
continue cardiac rehabilitation at home. Regardless of the location,
your cardiac rehab team—which may include doctors, nurses,
exercise specialists, dietitians and counselors—will help you to
create a safe exercise plan, as well as provide information and
encouragement to control your risk factors.
You will need your doctor’s approval to get started in cardiac rehab.
But not all doctors bring up the topic with their heart patients, espe-
cially women. Research indicates that women are only about half as
likely as men to participate in cardiac rehab programs. This is wor-
risome, because nonparticipation increases the risk of having second
and often fatal heart attacks. So be sure to tell your doctor or nurse
that you’re interested in cardiac rehabilitation. Talk with them
about your specific needs and preferences, and ask for a referral that
is a good fit for you.
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