About a week after his heart attack, Paul, our patient, began a rehabilitation program and learned that exercise would have to become part of his regular routine. The cardiac rehabilitation staff at Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center helped him learn how to exercise safely and effectively. He started by walking on the treadmill about six times a week – three times at the center and two to three times on his own.

“Before my heart attack, my lifestyle was very sedentary,” Paul recalls. “I worked in an office, and exercised rather infrequently. My favorite exercise was a round of golf.”

New approach brings balance
“After a heart attack or cardiac bypass surgery, starting or returning to an exercise routine can seem like a difficult process,” says Paul Spilde, a physical therapist and cardiac rehab supervisor at Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center. “In the past, cardiac rehab focused primarily on exercise. Now it involves a more comprehensive, long-term approach that includes exercise, education and emotional support.”

Patients typically begin the program about a week after leaving the hospital. The exercise component is individualized for each patient’s needs and abilities. Additionally, patients learn the importance of risk factor modification, nutrition, medication and stress reduction.

Emotional support is vital to recovery. “Depression and feeling down are very common after a heart attack or major surgery,” Spilde says. “Helping patients actively participate in their recovery can promote optimism for improved quality of life, and exercising with others who have had similar experiences often helps patients emotionally.”

Sensible exercise, expert care
Cardiac rehabilitation plans typically include aerobic exercises, such as walking or biking, strengthening and flexibility. Patients are closely monitored when exercising.

“While exercise is essential to cardiac rehab, some people who have had a heart attack or cardiac procedure fear exercise may harm their heart or cause a heart attack,” Spilde says. “It is reassuring for them to learn that exercise does not have to be intense to be effective. We teach patients how to exercise at moderate levels. Eventually, they build their confidence and fitness level.”

“To build endurance, we encourage our patients to exercise for 30 to 40 minutes, five to seven times a week,” Spilde says. “To make sure it remains safe and comfortable, we encourage them to gradually increase the intensity over four to six weeks. Patients in higher risk categories may take longer.” 

Today, Paul realizes he still has to push himself to get this amount of exercise – and jokingly adds that his wife is all too willing to help. He finds it easier in summer, when the weather allows more outdoor activities. But even in inclement weather, he is committed to his program and finds the downtown Minneapolis skyway system to be a good indoor alternative.  

Paul also knows that exercise is just one aspect of his new healthier lifestyle. He is very careful to manage his cholesterol and blood pressure levels with diet and medication. To learn more about his recovery, read “Heart attack survivor’s guide: Now what?.” To learn more about cardiac rehabilitation, visit parknicollet.com/heart.