How Does Cardiac Rehabilitation Work?
Cardiac rehabilitation has two major parts:
1. Exercise training to help you learn how to exercise safely, strengthen your muscles, and improve your stamina. Your exercise plan will be based on your individual ability, needs, and interests.
2. Education, counseling, and training
to help you understand your heart condition and find ways to reduce your risk of future heart problems. The cardiac rehab team will help you learn how to cope with the stress of adjusting to a new lifestyle and to deal with your fears about the future.
Cardiac rehab often takes place in groups. However, each patient's plan is based on his or her specific risk factors and special needs.
Cardiac rehab helps you recognize and change unhealthy habits you may have and establish new, more healthy ones. Your rehab may last 6 weeks, 6 months, or even longer. It is important that you complete the recommended rehab plan.
The Keys to Heart Health
- Exercise:
Regular physical activity that is tailored to your abilities, needs, and interests.
- Education:
Learning about your heart problem, its causes and treatments, and how you can manage it.
- Counseling:
Advice on why and how to change your lifestyle to lower your risk of furhter heart problems.
- Behavior change:
Learning specific skills to enable you to stop unhealthy behaviors such as smoking or to being healthy behaviors such as eating a heart-healthy diet.
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