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Cardiac Rehabilitation

Specialized program to help cardiac patients return to healthy lifestyle

Man on stationary bike working with female nurse

St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is a specialized service to help cardiac patients achieve maximum potential and return to a productive, healthy lifestyle.

A Registered Nurse works with each patient and their physician to create an individualized professionally supervised education and exercise program.

Entry into the program requires the referral of each patient’s personal physician, who will continue to provide primary care.

Cardiac rehabilitation services

For hospital inpatients

  • Counseling
  • Graded exercise and activity program
  • Home walking and activity guidelines
  • Progress reports to your physician

Patient education plays a vital role in the rehabilitation process. The patient’s family is urged to participate, so that together he/she can learn how to cope with the disease and modify his/her lifestyle with greater understanding.

For outpatients

  • Supervised exercise sessions in Cardiac Rehabilitation gym
  • Blood pressure and cardiac monitoring
  • Progress reports to your physician
Woman on exercise equipment with nurse assisting

Types of exercise in a cardiac rehab session

Exercise sessions are held in the cardiac rehabilitation gym which is located in the Prairie Heart Institute at St. Anthony's. The exercise equipment available includes:

  • Treadmills
  • Weight Bike
  • Air-Dyne Bike
  • Arm Ergometer
  • Cross-training equipment
  • Weight Pulleys
  • Stairmaster
  • Telemetry Monitor

All exercise sessions are supervised by the cardiac rehabilitation nurse, who is also experienced in cardiac monitoring. A telemetry monitor is used for all patients to monitor heart rate and rhythm during exercise. Blood pressures are checked before and after exercise and as necessary.

Who could benefit from cardiac rehabilitation

You may need cardiac rehabilitation if you have experienced the following: 

  • coronary artery disease
  • heart attack
  • coronary bypass surgery
  • angioplasty
  • stent placement
  • heart valve repair/replacement
  • heart or heart-lung transplant

Cardiac rehabilitation also enhances emotional well-being. We encourage active participation for the patient and his/her family members. We support a positive approach to the rehabilitation phase, while discussing various changes in lifestyle that are to take place. Any questions or concerns regarding activity are discussed with the patient and family.

Cardiac Rehabilitation helps to increase motivation, improve self-esteem and reduce anxiety and depression in cardiac patients, while serving as a support system for the patient and his/her family.