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The Phases of Cardiac Rehabilitation
The Phases of Cardiac RehabilitationWhile you are recovering from a heart event or condition, your healthcare provider may recommend cardiacrehabilitation. Cardiac rehab is divided into different phases based on what stage of recovery you are in, givingyou the support you need through your entire journey to heart health.If you were in the hospital after a heart attack or other cardiac event or procedure, you’ll begin Phase One ofcardiac rehab while you are still there. This usually starts with light physical activities like sitting up in bed.Gradually you will begin to increase your activity in the hospital by walking the halls.And in Phase One you will start to learn how to improve your heart health through lifestyle changes.As you transition from the hospital back home, your cardiac rehab team will help you with the skills you need tomake those first few weeks of recovery smooth.“So the first one is here is about cardiac rehab, that is where you are going to go to in about 3 or 4weeks when you’ve recovered a bit.”But Phase One is just the beginning.Because Phase One happens during your hospital recovery, there isn’t enough time to learn all you need toknow about heart health for a lifetime.That’s why the next phases are so important.And when you are ready, sometime in the first few weeks after you leave the hospital, you will beginsupervised exercise sessions. This phase may last as long as 36 weeks and may involve 3 sessions per week.Sessions may take place at a cardiac rehab center, at home, or a combination of both home and center-basedsessions.During this phase, your healthcare provider will monitor your exercise sessions to make sure your heart isworking at a healthy level for you.You may also attend sessions, whether one on one, or in a group setting, to learn more about how you canreduce your risk factors.It’s important to attend all of your cardiac rehabilitation sessions and to complete your program. You will betaking an active role in your journey toward heart health.Eventually you will graduate from the medically supervised phase. But don’t worry. You will still have support.During the next phase you may continue to exercise at home, or some programs have a maintenance phaseand you may decide to come to rehab sessions to be monitored by your rehab team.Everything you learn during cardiac rehab can train you to live the rest of your life in a heart-healthy way. But inorder to keep benefiting from cardiac rehab, you have to keep up with the new habits you have learned.After you complete cardiac rehab continue to include aerobic and weight bearing exercises in your routine.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG10120B EN ThePhasesOfCardiacRehabilitation.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 2The Phases of Cardiac RehabilitationChoose a variety of activities. This can keep your routine interesting and give your body a more completeworkout by working many muscle groups. The Cardiac Rehab team will help you plan a safe home exerciseprogram“I ride the bike for 20 minutes. I do the stepper for 25 minutes. And I do the treadmill about twice aweek.”“Now I’m back to pretty much doing what I used to be able to do, which is riding a bike and- andeverything feels fine and I have no problems.”When you exercise, include your family and friends. They too can benefit from your heart healthy lifestyle.And don’t be afraid to contact your cardiac rehab team if you have questions about the activities you are doingor the changes you are making.“Just listen to them. They know what they’re doing. They make you feel better. And every day you willaccomplish something better.”The healthy habits you learn now and the changes you make can continue to benefit you for the rest of yourlife.Whether you are just beginning to walk the halls of the hospital, or are in the maintenance phase, you can feelconfident that cardiac rehabilitation will give you the skills and support you need through each phase of yourjourney to living a heart healthy lifestyle.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG10120B EN ThePhasesOfCardiacRehabilitation.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 2
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