Getting in Shape After a Heart Attack
Cardiac rehabilitation services help heart attack patients recover safely and effectively in an environment close to home.
Cardiac rehabilitation provides medical supervision for women and men with heart disease, from physical training to health education to disease-management counseling.
To ensure the best route to recovery, teams of specialists should work together to develop a program for each patient's needs and continually monitor vitals such as blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar. Cardiac rehab is designed to prevent future heart issues through safe levels of exercise and heart-healthy lifestyle choices.
Patients in an intensive cardiac rehab program usually meet two to three times a week for up to 12 weeks. Cardiac rehab staff tend to offer instruction and encouragement, letting patients achieve their health goals without the worry of overdoing it.
The hidden pearl with cardiac rehab is the camaraderie and emotional support patients experience in this setting. This support allows patients to learn and share their experiences, and ultimately that gives them the self-confidence to believe they are going to recover.
Benefits of Cardiac Rehab for Heart Patients
- Teaches strategies to deal with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, diabetes and inactivity
- Establishes a healthy diet, which promotes weight control and lowers cholesterol
- Develops a safe exercise routine that can be continued at home
- Provides resources to help smokers conquer their habit
- Demonstrates stress management and relaxation techniques
- Improves recovery time and overall cardiac fitness
Do You Think You Could Benefit From Cardiac Rehab?
Find out more about cardiac rehab at Guthrie’s cardiac seminar, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, in the Patterson Auditorium on Guthrie’s Sayre campus.
Laura Meagley, exercise physiologist, will talk about the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation. Guthrie cardiologist Dr. Sudhakar Sattur will also talk about heart failure.
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