Cardiac Rehabilitation:

Summary

The heart is a muscle that benefits from physical activity. After someone has a heart event, he or she may feel anxious about getting active. Cardiac rehabilitation helps patients begin to be active again in a safe environment. In this program, actual patients describe how cardiac rehabilitation helped them regain their confidence and their health. It explains how cardiac rehabilitation benefits specific heart problems, the goals, including risk factor reduction, the phases of cardiac rehabilitation and what to expect in each phase, and the emotional support that it may give. Released July 2008.

Details

Many people try to reject or avoid cardiac rehabilitation after a cardiac event.

Going home may be a time of mixed emotions.

Heart attacks are result of a disease developing in the body for years. Coronary arteries narrow (atherosclerosis) due to fatty deposits and restrict oxygen flow to part of the heart.

Take each day as it comes and work on your recovery. Exercise rehabilitation may help your body compensate for the damaged heart muscle.

For your first week home, do everything you did in the hospital.

Natural to feel tired or weak, regular exercise will help you do more activities without becoming short of breath.

Avoid lifting, pushing or pulling any weight heavier than doctor recommends (generally over 10 pounds).

Gradually increase time and distance of walking.

Prevent any further heart damage by making risk factor life style changes:

• quit smoking
• control high blood pressure
• lower cholesterol
• lose weight

Enlist support of friends and family in making lifestyle changes.

May be tempted to overdo, this can cause setbacks.

Denial may cause you to return to unhealthy habits.

After a few weeks of recovery may have an exercise (stress) test to make sure the heart is healing well.

Sex can be resumed after your doctor okay's it:

• 2-3 hours after eating
• not tired or hot
• both partners should be relaxed

Returning to work is rewarding but challenging.

Cardiac rehabilitation program is usually started shortly after a heart attack:

• exercise increases cardiovascular efficiency
• improves overall physical fitness
• may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol

An individualized exercise program will be developed for you.

2-3 supervised exercise sessions a week with heart monitoring during exercise.

Rehabilitation can also help you make necessary lifestyle changes.

You can also benefit from meeting others with similar concerns and goals.

Some people continue rehab exercise programs for years.

Some programs may also progress to weight training.