Duke’s cardiac rehab programs consist of three main components: exercise, education, and counseling. Our team of cardiac rehab experts includes doctors, nurses, exercise physiologists, dietitians, and counselors. They collaborate to improve your heart health, aerobic endurance, and general well-being.
Benefits of Cardiac Rehab
Research shows that the many benefits of cardiac rehab include:
- Making it easier to accomplish daily activities like climbing stairs
- Establishing a regular exercise routine
- Helping you learn to manage stress
- Reducing your risk of additional heart problems, hospitalizations, and death
What to Expect at Cardiac Rehab
At your first session, staff evaluate your needs and limitations and work with you to set goals. Then they create a safe, individualized exercise program to help you gradually improve your activity tolerance over time. During each session, which lasts between one to two hours, you will participate in cardiovascular exercise, such as walking or biking on a stationary bike, and you will learn about how to manage your heart condition and live a healthier life.
You will also have access to a dietitian and mental health counselor. A dietitian can teach you how to reduce your heart disease risk factors by following a heart-healthy diet. A counselor can teach you how to reduce stress and manage depression and anxiety, which are common in people who have heart disease.
