Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiac care at Crestwood Medical Center includes cardiac rehabilitation (rehab), a medically supervised program that helps improve the health and well-being of people who have heart problems. The program includes exercise training, education on heart healthy living, and counseling to reduce stress and help you return to an active life.
Phase II begins after you leave the hospital. Your therapy will take place at our outpatient facility, meaning you'll travel from your home to the center for this portion of your recovery.
This phase is a structured, medically supervised, outpatient program for patients with heart disease that incorporates regular exercise along with other services that may include nutritional counseling, stress management and smoking cessation. A standard cardiac rehabilitation program generally includes 36 sessions over the course of three months, with three sessions weekly. Each session lasts about one hour, with about a 30 minute exercise period incorporated between instructor led warm-up and cool-down sessions. Throughout each session, a patient's ECG is monitored by a nurse using a telemetry monitoring system. Exercise levels on each piece of equipment are adjusted regularly by an exercise specialist, based on heart rate performance, the patient's level of comfort and their physician's directions to provide maximal safe progress in exercise capacity.
During this phase, you gradually increase your activity level, usually under the close supervision of your cardiac rehabilitation team. Your care team may suggest exercises you can safely complete at home, such as walking and gentle calisthenics. You also learn about eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking, coping with your condition, resuming sexual activity and finding social support.
Phase III and Phase IV is a long-term maintenance program — something to follow for the rest of your life. By this point, you probably will have developed your own exercise routine at home or at a local gym. You may also continue to exercise at a cardiac rehab center. You may remain under medical supervision during this time, particularly if you have special health concerns. Education about nutrition, lifestyle and weight loss may continue, as well as counseling. For best success, make sure your exercise and lifestyle practices become lifelong habits.
What are the goals of cardiac rehabilitation?
- To reduce further complications from heart disease
- To optimize cardiovascular performance in patients with heart disease
- To reduce cardiac risk by educating each patient as to their own cardiac risk factors and developing specific, workable interventions to modify those factors
- To promote a healthy heart life style, including exercise, diet, and stress management
- To restore a patient's and their family's confidence in the patient's physical capabilities after cardiac events
Patient Testimonials
"My time in the cardiac rehab program has been well worth it. The staff is very knowledgeable and supportive. To me, having instant feedback on my progress was valuable, with blood pressure and heart rate information that you won't get at a regular gym. I learned much more about proper diet and exercise here. I heartily recommend the program to anyone who has had a cardiac event."
- Mike Shaddy, Crestwood Medical Center cardiac rehab patient
"Crestwood cardiac rehab has proven their expertise in providing me a customized, fully monitored plan for my physical and cardiac rehabilitation. The person overseeing and directing my cardiac exercise has made me gain strength, stamina and a good expectation of a full and speedy recovery. I am so appreciative… [and] highly recommend Crestwood Rehab."
- David, Crestwood Medical Center cardiac rehab patient
"They have really helped me with getting my cardio strength back on track and have been exemplary in their professionalism. I could not have been more satisfied with my experience at Crestwood Medical Center."
- Ricardo Marrero, Crestwood Medical Center cardiac rehab patient
For more information, call: (256) 429-4949.