Cardiac rehabilitation programs are designed by the patient’s provider, usually a cardiologist, to meet the specific needs of the individual patient. The goal of the program is to significantly reduce the risk of future heart attacks, and to facilitate the overall recovery of the patient. Whether the patient is recovering from a heart attack, heart surgery, or the diagnosis of heart disease, the provider will custom tailor a program, and then oversee that program along with a team of other health care professionals.

Cardiac rehab programs can be found at most hospitals. The programs usually consist of carefully planned and supervised exercise training, nutritional counseling in order to lower dietary fat and cholesterol levels, stress management and relaxation training, modification of coronary risk factors, and the careful monitoring of cardiac health.

Heart patients who begin the program while in the hospital usually start by working on regaining basic skills, such as getting out of bed and going to the bathroom by themselves. Once out of the hospital, heart patients work on getting stronger and learning how to avoid future heart-related problems. The length of the program can vary from weeks to months, depending on the patient’s condition and specific needs.