Heart & Vascular Institute – Southwest

Cardiac Rehabilitation

For recovering heart patients, the cardiac rehabilitation program addresses medical and behavioral aspects of cardiovascular disease. Cardiac rehabilitation includes therapeutic exercise, medical nutrition therapy, relaxation techniques and a weekly discussion series.

Participants learn to:

• Exercise safely
• Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
• Control and/or reduce weight
• Manage daily stress
• Adapt to living with heart disease
• Address feelings of fear, anxiety and depression

Exercise sessions aim to restore optimal functional heart capacity in a safe, supervised setting. Patients are taught self-monitoring techniques to interpret physical cues (such as breathing rate, muscle fatigue and pulse) and to assess personal exercise tolerance.

The 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program is covered by most medical insurance, provided patients meet certain conditions.