Cardiac rehabilitation

If you've had cardiovascular disease or a cardiac event (like a heart attack), you may go through cardiac rehabilitation. This is a medically supervised program to ease you back into exercising safely. Cardiac therapists guide you through the phases of rehabilitation.
Benefits of cardiac rehab: increasing your activity, improving your cardiovascular fitness, and increasing your heart's function; reducing your risk factors; giving more control over your health; providing education
Most cardiac rehabilitation programs involve:

structured exercise (you are closely monitored)
education about your heart
information about managing your condition
a plan to prevent further cardiac problems

Inpatient cardiac rehabilitation

This phase of your rehabilitation takes place while you are still in the hospital. Members of a special cardiac rehabilitation team will meet with you. They may include an occupational therapist, registered nurses, an exercise physiologist, a respiratory care practitioner and a physical therapist.

Your cardiac rehabilitation therapist will work closely with your doctor to prescribe a step-by-step program of activity and exercise. This will help prevent you from losing muscle mass while you’re in the hospital. This program is designed to monitor your heart’s response to exercise and ensures you are safe and able to perform activities of daily living.

Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation

Your rehabilitation may continue on a regular schedule after you leave the hospital. These fully-monitored sessions will help you safely build up your tolerance for activity and improve the strength of your heart so you can return to your normal everyday tasks. Educational programs and support groups will help you learn how to lower your risks and help yourself recover emotionally and physically.

Long-term maintenance cardiac rehabilitation

There are long-term cardiac maintenance programs available once you finish your outpatient rehabilitation. Maintenance programs promote cardiovascular and physical fitness and support you as you help create a heart-healthy lifestyle. Some hospitals have a medical fitness center for you to continue your exercise program under the supervision of staff trained to monitor people with heart problems.