Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiac Rehabilitation
In some cases, your physician will refer you to Cardiac Rehabilitation. Cardiac Rehab helps patients recover from a heart attack, coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty and/or other cardiac conditions through carefully supervised physical exercise and psychosocial activities. Usually, cardiac rehab is an outpatient treatment and you will need your physician to refer you to a program.
Goals of Cardiac Rehabilitation include teaching patients:
- To exercise properly and safely.
- To maintain a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.
- To manage stress.
- To feel good about and sure of yourself.
- To decrease your risk factors for heart disease.
The Three Stages of Cardiac Rehabilitation:
Stage 1: Inpatient
This is a program for patients while they are in the hospital. It is highly supervised. Patients are prescribed a tailored exercise program and are monitored while they exercise.
Stage 2: Outpatient with Supervision
This is a program that is prescribed for patients who have left the hospital but still need some supervision and monitoring while they exercise. The program is tailored to meet the patient’s individual needs.
Stage 3: Outpatient without Supervision
This is a program that is developed for patients who are well enough to exercise on their own, monitoring their own progress.