Safely Exercise Your Return to Heart Health
After a heart attack, heart surgery, cardiac catheterization, or the diagnosis of a chronic heart disease, your treatment is likely to include cardiac rehab exercises. That often frightens people who worry that their heart is too weak, but exercise is essential to recovering heart health in most cases. If your cardiologist recommends exercise, he may refer you to cardiac rehabilitation. This service provides you with expert guidance on how to exercise safely.
What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehab is a medically supervised program designed to help you improve your heart health after a diagnosis of heart disease, heart surgery, or heart attack. But that’s not all. A study published in the journal Circulation suggests cardiac rehab has a much larger impact than just heart health. The research found participating in cardiac rehab can reduce your risk for all causes of death by up to 47%.
Our Cardiac Rehab program at Penn Highlands is offered at all five of our hospital locations. The 12-week program includes three sessions per week that focus on these three components:
- Exercise training. Certified physiologists will show you how to exercise in a way that’s safe and beneficial for your heart. They’ll teach you specific exercises and proper form. You’ll get three guided workouts per week.
- Education. You’ll learn what it takes to avoid future heart problems through lifestyle changes, including nutrition, medication management, smoking cessation, and stress reduction.
- Counseling. You’ll talk to a psychologist who can help you recognize and deal with depression, which often occurs after a heart problem. You’ll also learn how to manage stress, which can negatively affect your heart health.
Who Benefits from Cardiac Rehab?
If you’ve had any sort of heart event, talk to your doctor about cardiac rehabilitation. Penn Highlands cardiologists refer patients for cardiac rehab who:
- Have had a heart attack
- Have been diagnosed with heart failure, angina or coronary artery disease
- Have had an artery opened through cardiac catheterization
- Have had bypass surgery, valve replacement or other heart procedures
- Have been diagnosed with a chronic heart problem, such as congestive heart failure
Who Provides Cardiac Rehab?
Recovering from heart problems is a process, and one you don’t want to go through alone. It’s best to have certified professionals help you restore your heart health so you don’t risk having future problems.
At Penn Highlands, our cardiac rehab staff is made up of registered nurses, exercise physiologists, dietitians, pharmacists, psychologists, and stress management instructors. Many of our hospitals’ cardiac rehab programs are certified through the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and use guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine.
Insurance Coverage for Cardiac Rehab
Cardiac rehabilitation is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance providers if it has been prescribed by your doctor. However, you should always check with your health plan. Our financial advisors also can help by calling our financial counselors at 814-375-6659.
What Happens after Cardiac Rehab?
Graduating from cardiac rehab is a major milestone. But that’s no reason to stop improving your heart health. And we can help. Upon completion of cardiac rehab, we invite you and your family to participate in one of our ongoing heart health programs:
- Clearfield: Fit for Life offers a supervised twice weekly exercise program. The cost is $15 per month that is only covered by insurance if the patient submits a receipt to their carrier. Participation requires clearance from your physician.
- Brookville: Adult Fitness is supervised exercise program available for patients after Phase II Cardiac Rehab or for anyone cleared by their doctor to exercise. The cost is $4.50 per session and is not covered by insurance.
Penn Highlands Mon Valley Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is designed to help individuals suffering from heart and/or lung disease achieve a higher quality of life through exercise and education, while improving their mental and physical health.
Penn Highlands Brookville Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to help individuals suffering from heart disease achieve a higher quality of life through exercise and education, while improving their mental and physical health.
Penn Highlands Clearfield Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to help individuals suffering from heart disease achieve a higher quality of life through exercise and education, while improving their mental and physical health.
Penn Highlands DuBois Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to help individuals suffering from heart disease achieve a higher quality of life through exercise and education, while improving their mental and physical health.
Penn Highlands Elk Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to help individuals suffering from heart disease achieve a higher quality of life through exercise and education, while improving their mental and physical health.
Penn Highlands Huntingdon Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to help individuals suffering from heart disease achieve a higher quality of life through exercise and education, while improving their mental and physical health.
