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Rehabilitation: Building a better life after heart disease
If you're just recovering from a heart attack, walking on a treadmill may be the last thing you're interested in.You may feel tired and depressed and simply worried about survival - not about getting in a workout. But exercising under the watchful eyes of your health care team through a cardiac rehab program may be the key to survival and a better quality of life. If you're adjusting to life after a heart attack or you're living with certain other heart diseases,cardiac rehabilitation may help you feel better than you thought was possible.

What is cardiac rehabilitation? Cardiac rehab is a customized program of exercise and education.Your doctors may recommend joining a cardiac rehab program to help you return to better health when you've had a heart attack or if you have certain other heart conditions. The goals of cardiac rehab are to help you regain strength,to prevent your condition from worsening and to reduce your risk of future heart problems.And those can add up to a better quality of life. A thorough evaluation helps your health care team assess your physical abilities,medical limitations and other conditions you may have.

Then an exercise program and lifestyle program is created. Don't worry if you've never exercised before. A cardiac rehab team will make sure the program moves at a pace you're comfortable with.

Who can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation?

Today, cardiac rehab is an option for people of all ages and with many forms of heart disease.You may benefit from cardiac rehabilitation if your medical history includes:

Heart attack

Coronary artery disease

Heart failure

Angina

Angioplasty or stent placement

Certain congenital heart diseases

Coronary artery bypass surgery

Valve replacements

Cardiac rehabilitation isn't appropriate for everyone, though, even if you have one of these conditions. Your health care team will work with your physician to thoroughly evaluate your health to make sure you're ready to start a cardiac rehab program. For more information, call (352) 323-5395.The Villages Regional Hospital provides van service for area residents who wish to ride to the program at LRMC.