Cardiac Rehabilitation: What to Expect
Your first appointment with the cardiac rehabilitation staff will take about one hour. You should wear comfortable clothes, and be sure to bring your insurance card and a list of all medications that you are currently taking.
This initial assessment will evaluate:
- Your medical history and your risk factors for heart disease.
- Any special precautions you will need to take as you begin the exercise part of your rehabilitation program.
- Your baseline data, including heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels. This information will make it easier to gauge your progress through your rehabilitiation.
Orientation
Your next few visits following the first appointment will be an orientation session introducing you to the concepts and benefits of cardiac rehabilitiation. You will begin your personalized, monitored exercise program. You will also begin to learn strategies for acheiving better heart health. These will include nutrition and stress management.
Your exercise program
Over a period of up to three months, you will participate in one-hour sessions where the cardiac rehabilitiation staff will help you to exercise in increasing intensity, based on your body’s recovery. Your personal exercise plan will include a variety of exercises targeted to increase your cardiovascular fitness. During each session, you will be monitored by our staff, and your progress will be evaluated.
| Christiana Care Cardiac Rehabilitation | |
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HealthCare Center at Christiana |
Glasgow Medical Center |
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Eugene du Pont Preventive Medicine & Rehabilitation Institute |
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