Cardiac rehabilitation

Having a heart attack or heart surgery can be frightening, and getting back to your normal activities may feel overwhelming.

Our cardiac rehabilitation specialists at Atrium Health Polk Medical Center focus on helping people with heart conditions get back on track. With a customized program of exercises and education, we’ll make sure you’re ready to move forward safely.

What is cardiac rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehabilitation is a program that combines physical therapy exercises with education. You’ll learn how to safely get back to your activities and strategies for eating healthier and managing stress.

The goal of cardiac physical therapy is to help you live a healthier life after a heart attack, heart surgery or other heart disease treatment. Our cardiology team oversees each patient’s cardiac rehabilitation program to ensure a safe recovery.

Types of cardiac rehabilitation

A comprehensive cardiac rehab program addresses all aspects of your recovery. This may include:

• Exercise: A physical therapist collaborates with your cardiologist to create a personalized fitness plan. They’ll evaluate your current fitness, talk about your goals and then help you work toward achieving them.
• Healthy lifestyle strategies: Keeping your heart healthy and preventing future cardiac issues means making some lifestyle changes. You’ll get individualized guidance on eating well, quitting smoking and adopting other healthy habits.
• Stress management: Reducing stress is important for your recovery and for your future heart health. You’ll learn techniques for relieving stress and ways to cope during stressful situations.

Conditions treated with cardiac rehabilitation

Learning to take better care of your heart – and overall health – can benefit anyone. But if you already have heart disease, cardiac rehab is essential.

The comprehensive heart-health strategies you learn during cardiac rehabilitation can help prevent future problems for people who’ve experienced:

• Heart attack
• Heart disease
• Heart surgery

Cardiac rehabilitation benefits

As you recover from a heart attack or heart surgery, it’s normal to feel a little depressed and anxious about your health. Cardiac rehabilitation can address your physical and emotional needs.

Working with a cardiac rehab team can help speed your recovery and lead to:

• Better mood
• Faster return to your usual daily activities
• Improved strength and energy
• Prevention of future heart attack or other cardiac emergencies
• Reduced stress levels