Nearly 800,000 people in the United States have a heart attack each year. For about 25 percent of those people, it wasn’t their first heart attack. It may sound like a scary statistic, but cardiac rehabilitation can help prevent that second event. Here are 5 benefits of cardiac rehab and how it could potentially save your life.
Cardiac rehab strengthens your heart
Taking care of your heart before a heart attack is important, but if you’ve suffered a heart attack or other heart event, cardiac rehab can help you recover faster. When you attend cardiac rehabilitation, your care team will walk you through a personalized treatment plan for your condition. This treatment plan will help you learn exercises, healthy lifestyle tips and ways to manage your heart condition. Through this tailored program, you will learn key tools to help strengthen your heart and improve your stamina. This can help prevent heart events. It can seem scary to do things monitored, but our staff will help you safely return to your previous activity levels, or help you adapt your lifestyle as needed.
You will learn healthier habits
With the help of cardiac professionals, you will learn how to build a heart-healthy diet. This type of diet includes lowering your sugar and sodium (salt) intake, eating healthy fats, more vegetables and taking in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. When you start eating better, you’ll feel better. When you feel better, you’ll have more energy for daily activities like simply walking up the stairs or carrying your groceries.
Connect with your mind body and soul
As part of your cardiac rehab program, you’ll learn ways to cope with stress. To put it simply, stress can hurt your heart. When you learn how to react to common stressors in your life, you can boost your mood and have better overall mental health. Cardiac rehab will help you learn how to get to the heart of the problem to limit future heart problems. Studies have also shown that cardiac rehab can reduce the risk of developing depression.
Learn to better manage your medicine
If you have heart problems and are prescribed medicine by your doctor, it’s important to take that medicine correctly. When you attend cardiac rehabilitation, your care team will make sure you understand what medicines you’re taking as well as any potential side effects. When you know how your medicine is helping your heart, you might be more likely to take them correctly, which can improve your heart’s function.
Cardiac Rehab can get you back on your feet
If you feel your heart attack or heart problem is keeping you from doing the things you love, think about enrolling in a cardiac rehab program. Cardiac rehab is designed to make you feel better physically, mentally and emotionally. This multi-dimensional program is created just for you, based on your needed level of care. Plus, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it can lower your risk of death in the five years following your heart attack or heart surgery by about 35%.
NMC Health Cardiac Rehab
NMC Health offers cardiac rehabilitation to patients of all ages who have a referral from their doctor. Learn how our expert staff can help you navigate your heart condition through exercise, nutrition, and counseling. Our cardiac rehab professionals can help you recover if you suffer from:
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Valve Issues
- Heart Attacks
Call your doctor today to see if cardiac rehab is right for you.
Your health is our focus.
