Cardiac rehabilitation is an individually prescribed program of exercise, monitoring, and education that is designed to help the participant recover following a heart attack, other forms of heart disease, or surgery to treat heart disease.
There are many benefits to participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program. A specialized cardiac rehabilitation program can:
- Reduce your overall chance of dying from future heart problems and reduce your risk of having another heart attack
- Improve your overall health by reducing or modifying your current risk factors for heart problems
- Enhance your quality of life, making it easier for you to resume normal activities such as returning to work, participating in social activities, and exercising
Participation in the cardiac rehabilitation program at Duke Raleigh Hospital requires a physician referral.
The cardiac rehabilitation program includes:
- Monitored exercise sessions with continuous telemetry monitoring
- Nutritional counseling
- Emotional support
- Behavioral counseling regarding cardiovascular education and lifestyle changes to reduce your risks of ongoing heart problems
The cardiac rehabilitation team is dedicated to providing an individualized exercise program to assist the participant in achieving their unique health and wellness goals. The cardiac rehabilitation team is led by the program medical director, Stephen Robinson, MD.
Participants are enrolled in a 12-week program generally consisting of 36 exercise sessions. For your convenience, we offer three cardiac rehab sessions three times a week. Sessions take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the following times:
- 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
- 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
- 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
A Multidisciplinary Program
The cardiac rehabilitation program includes several components in order to improve the overall health and quality of life of our participants.
Medical evaluation
Initial and ongoing evaluations with the cardiac rehabilitation team are used to assess your physical abilities, medical limitations and other conditions, and track your ongoing progress during participation in the program.
The cardiac rehabilitation team will review your exercise response and risk factors to design an individualized exercise prescription that is safe and effective for you.
Exercise sessions
The cardiac rehabilitation team will monitor your progress and exercise response while using a variety of exercises.
This may include walking, cycling, rowing, or even using the elliptical. You may also participate in strength training exercises to increase your fitness and endurance.
In addition, home exercise guidelines and instruction will be provided.
Lifestyle education
You will receive support and education to help you make the necessary lifestyle changes to modify your risk factor profile.
This may include nutritional counseling, tobacco cessation counseling, and education to help you deal with the ongoing challenges of living with cardiovascular disease.
Psychosocial support
Dealing with cardiovascular disease may require significant changes or lifestyle adjustments. It is not uncommon for the participant to experience depression, anxiety, anger, or denial after suffering from a heart problem.
The cardiac rehabilitation team will provide ongoing counseling and support to assist the participant with meeting the day-to-day challenges of dealing with these feelings.
Cardiac rehabilitation graduates can continue to improve their health by taking advantage of the cardiac maintenance program.
Structured exercise and educational programs are offered as well as annual fitness reassessment and exercise prescriptions. Other benefits of the program include ongoing counseling and professional supervision.
Participating in the Program
The cardiac rehabilitation program is open to outpatients by physician referral only.
You may be eligible to participate if you have suffered a heart attack, heart surgery, recent angioplasty or stent placement, stable chest pain, valve surgery, or heart transplant.
For more information please contact the Wellness Center at 919-954-3174 or call Joanne Holowecki at 919-954-3047.
