Cardiac Conditioning

Our cardiac conditioning program is a rehabilitation and education program, designed to help you recover more quickly and keep you healthy. It also helps reduce your risk of further heart problems. Our cardiac conditioning program includes:

• Medically supervised exercise
• Nutritional counseling
• Stress reduction strategies
• Resources to stop smoking
• Help with managing your medication

The Phases of Cardiac Conditioning

Our cardiac conditioning program is divided into three distinct phases.

Phase I

• Typically begins while you’re still in the hospital
• You may start some physical therapy prior to discharge
• A cardiac nurse will provide you with nutrition and other educational materials

Phase II

• This is a 4 to 12 week exercise program, with three sessions per week
• Phase II typically starts two to six weeks after a heart attack or surgery
• Sessions include walking or biking, aerobic exercise on treadmills and other machines, resistance training, and cool-down stretching.
• In small group sessions, you receive heart monitoring and blood pressure checks

Phase III

• After graduating from Phase II, you keep up your heart fitness through prescribed exercise

Getting Started with Cardiac Conditioning

• After we receive the referral from your doctor, we’ll review your insurance coverage
• At your first appointment, a rehabilitation specialist will do your health assessment
• Our nurses and exercise specialists will then put together your individualized exercise program
• We’ll send progress reports to your cardiologist and primary care provider throughout your program so that your care team stays in the loop