Overview
Cardiac rehabilitation, also called cardiac rehab, is a customized outpatient program of exercise and education. The program is designed to help you improve your health and recover from a heart attack, other forms of heart disease or surgery to treat heart disease.
Why it's done
Cardiac rehabilitation is an option for people with many forms of heart disease. In particular, you might benefit from cardiac rehabilitation if your medical history includes:
Risks
Cardiac rehabilitation isn't appropriate for everyone who has had heart disease. Your health care team will evaluate your health, including reviewing your medical history, conducting a physical exam and performing tests, to make sure you're ready to start a cardiac rehabilitation program.
How you prepare
If you've had a heart attack, heart surgery or another heart condition, ask your doctor about joining a cardiac rehabilitation program. Insurance and Medicare often cover the costs of cardiac rehabilitation in the United States. Check with your insurance company to see if your cardiac rehabilitation will be covered.
What you can expect
The first stages of most cardiac rehabilitation programs generally last about three months, but some people will follow the program longer. In special situations, some people might be able to do an intensive program for several hours a day that can last one or two weeks.
Results
To get the most benefits from cardiac rehabilitation, you'll need to continue the habits and follow the skills you learned in the program for the rest of your life.
Clinical trials
Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions.
What is cardiac rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehabilitation is an important program for anyone recovering from a heart attack, heart failure, or other heart problem that required surgery or medical care.
Who needs cardiac rehabilitation?
Anyone who has had a heart problem, such as a heart attack, heart failure, or heart surgery, can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation. Studies have found that cardiac rehabilitation helps men and women, people of all ages, and people with mild, moderate, and severe heart problems. 2
How does cardiac rehabilitation help?
Cardiac rehabilitation can have many health benefits in both the short and long term, including:
Where can I get cardiac rehabilitation?
Some programs are done in a hospital or rehabilitation center, and other programs can be done in your home. Cardiac rehabilitation may start while you are still in the hospital or right after you leave the hospital.
What is cardiac rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehabilitation doesn’t change your past, but it can help you improve your heart’s future. Cardiac rehab is a medically supervised program designed to improve your cardiovascular health if you have experienced heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty or heart surgery.
Support That Empowers
Recovery becomes so much more manageable when you have the right kind of emotional support. Our online community of survivors and caregivers is here to keep you going no matter the obstacles. We’ve been there, and we won’t let you go it alone.
What does cardiac rehab involve?
Cardiac rehabilitation doesn’t change your past, but it can help you improve your heart’s future.
Cardiac rehab is a team effort
You don’t need to face heart disease alone. Cardiac rehab is a team effort.
Support That Empowers
Recovery becomes so much more manageable when you have the right kind of emotional support. Our online community of survivors and caregivers is here to keep you going no matter the obstacles. We’ve been there, and we won’t let you go it alone.
What is Cardiac Rehab?
Cardiac rehab is a comprehensive, medically supervised recovery program, specifically designed for patients with heart disease.
Phase 1: Acute, In Hospital Patient Period
Patients with acute heart conditions, such as those recovering from heart surgery or a heart attack, may be referred to a cardiac rehab team while still in hospital. This phase will likely last between 2 and 5 days, depending on your physical condition.
Goals for Phase 1
The main goal for the first phase of cardiac rehabilitation is to enable you to leave the hospital and return home as quickly and safely as possible. You will work with doctors, nurses, and physical therapists or other specialists to design a safe and appropriate discharge plan. By the end of this phase, you should have:
Phase 2: Subacute Outpatient Care (Post-discharge, Pre-Exercise Period)
Phase 2 takes place after you leave the hospital, at an outpatient care facility. This second phase will last between three and six weeks.
What happens?
The primary focus of this phase is close monitoring to ensure that you are progressing in your recovery. You will also receive more extensive training on how to manage your condition. Your cardiac rehab team will review how your heart responds to gradually increasing levels of exercise and activity.
Goals for Phase 2
The main goal for Phase 2 is to support your learning from Phase 1, and ensure that you have taken all the new information on board. You will be monitored as you make any necessary lifestyle changes and begin to progress with your exercise regime.
Phase 3: Intensive Outpatient Rehab
If you have experienced a severe cardiac event or surgery, you will probably need to complete phases 1 and 2 before you are moved into Phase 3, a full cardiac rehabilitation program. Some patients with less intense cardiac conditions may enter Phase 3 directly.
Overview
- Cardiac rehabilitation, also called cardiac rehab, is a customized outpatient program of exercise and education. The program is designed to help you improve your health and recover from a heart attack, other forms of heart disease or surgery to treat heart disease. Cardiac rehabilitation often involves exercise training, emotional support and education about lifestyle changes to red…
Why It's Done
- Cardiac rehabilitation is an option for people with many forms of heart disease. In particular, you might benefit from cardiac rehabilitation if your medical history includes: 1. Heart attack 2. Coronary artery disease 3. Heart failure 4. Peripheral artery disease 5. Chest pain (angina) 6. Cardiomyopathy 7. Certain congenital heart diseases 8. Coronary artery bypass surgery 9. Angio…
Risks
- Cardiac rehabilitation isn't appropriate for everyone who has had heart disease. Your health care team will evaluate your health, including reviewing your medical history, conducting a physical exam and performing tests, to make sure you're ready to start a cardiac rehabilitation program. Rarely, some people suffer injuries, such as strained muscles or sprains, while exercising as a p…
How You Prepare
- If you've had a heart attack, heart surgery or another heart condition, ask your doctor about joining a cardiac rehabilitation program. Insurance and Medicare often cover the costs of cardiac rehabilitation in the United States. Check with your insurance company to see if your cardiac rehabilitation will be covered. Your treatment team will work with you to set goals for your cardia…
What You Can Expect
- During cardiac rehabilitation
The first stages of most cardiac rehabilitation programs generally last about three months, but some people will follow the program longer. In special situations, some people might be able to do an intensive program for several hours a day that can last one or two weeks. During cardiac r… - Cardiac rehabilitation includes:
1. Medical evaluation. Your health care team will generally perform an initial evaluation to check your physical abilities, medical limitations and other conditions you may have. Ongoing evaluations can help your team keep track of your progress over time. During your evaluation, yo…
Results
- To get the most benefits from cardiac rehabilitation, you'll need to continue the habits and follow the skills you learned in the program for the rest of your life. Over the long term, sticking to your cardiac rehabilitation can help you: 1. Improve strength 2. Adopt heart-healthy behaviors, such as regular exercise and a heart-healthy diet 3. Cut bad habits, such as smoking 4. Manage your wei…
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiesof tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions.