Cardiac Rehab
With February being Heart Month, it’s a great time to consider how to keep your ticker in tip top! It’s also a great time to learn about your options if you’ve experienced a cardiac event or have any risk factors. Read on….
Following a cardiac event, survivors often experience uncertainty about their next steps. They may question how to proceed, what actions to take, when to take them, and what to expect during recovery. Understanding how to support heart health, enhance physical fitness, and develop mental resilience is crucial.
At Comox Physiotherapy, we offer the Cardiac Rehabilitation & Risk Reduction Program. It’s a 10 week program for cardiac patients that provides a structured and enjoyable approach to improving quality of life, fostering a healthy lifestyle, and promoting overall mental and physical well-being.
Our program is lead by our experienced clinical exercise physiologist, Barb Morris.
The Cardiac Rehab program will guide you through:
Better understanding your heart issues, conditions, and procedures during small group sessions of four participants.
Learning the advantages of a heart-healthy diet.
Developing regular physical activity habits that are safe and fun to improve stability, mobility, and fitness.
Practicing effective stress management techniques.
Discovering how physical activity enhances memory, learning, and cognitive skills.
Empowering yourself with ways to manage heart disease and reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and other related conditions long after completion of the program.
Who can benefit from this program:
People who have experience a cardiac event (heart attack, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, chest pain/angina, cariomyopathy, some congenital heart diseases).
People who have had a cardiac procedure (coronary bypass, angioplasty, stents, heart valve repair or replacements).
People at risk for developing coronary artery disease or other metabolic disease.
You may be referred by your physician or specialist to join our program, but a referral is not required. You are welcome to join us - just give us a call.
what to expect:
The program begins with a one-on-one visit with Barb (or clinical exercise physiologist) to discuss your goals for the program and assess your individual needs, including your physical abilities, physical limitations, and any other conditions you may have. The two of you will look at your risk factors for complications, particularly during exercise. After this visit, you will then join the group sessions for a 10-week program. You can choose to attend either once a week, or twice a week.
the group classes include:
Monitoring of your blood pressure and heart rate
Safe and fun exercises for cardiovascular fitness and muscle strengthening
Mobility, flexibility, and stability exercises
Listening to and sharing with others who are going through similar health experiences
Conversations and discussion regarding nutrition and stress management
Ongoing evaluation to track your progress over time
Fun, support, and laughter!
Feeling aprehensive?
Maybe it’s been awhile since you exercised. Or maybe you've never really exercised much at all before. No worries. We will ensure the program moves at a comfortable and safe pace for you.
*We may work out in a group, but we train as individuals*
Still unsure?
Our participants consistently report one of the most valuable benefits of the Cardiac Rehab program is an overall improvement in their quality of life. In fact, many often report they end up feeling better than they did even before they had a heart condition or cardiac event!
But don’t just take our word for it. Here are some kind words from recent participants…
Barb is knowledgeable and energetic. The program is well worth the time and effort. A structured rehab exercise program has benefits that exceed beyond a general healthy lifestyle. - B.H.
Working with Barb gives me the confidence to continue the work I need to do outside of the clinic. - R.S.