Cardiac rehabilitation

Working closely with Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute, our cardiac rehabilitation staff serves people who have had a heart attack, angina (chest pain), coronary artery bypass surgery, valve replacement or angioplasty .

In addition to rehabilitation, our cardiac stress testing services support effective diagnosis and treatment.

Personalized exercise program

We look at each person’s health risks as we personalize a plan to help prevent future problems. A main part of reconditioning the heart is a two-phase exercise program.

Phase 1 cardiac rehabilitation

Phase 1 begins in the hospital when you are recovering from angina, a heart attack or heart surgery. It emphasizes a gradual increase in the amount and type of exercise.

Phase 2 cardiac rehabilitation

Phase 2 generally lasts four to 12 weeks after you leave the hospital. This program combines medical supervision with EKG heart monitoring as you exercise in our dedicated outpatient area, located on the first floor of the hospital.

Our registered cardiac rehab nurses work with each participant and his or her loved ones to achieve these goals:

• Safely increase heart efficiency and physical work capacity.
• Reduce risk for recurrence of symptoms.
• Cope with lifestyle changes and stress.

The phase 2 program also includes comprehensive education on topics like these:

• How the heart works
• Effects and benefits of exercise
• How hard should I exercise?
• Heart attack versus chest pain
• Nutrition
• Sexual activity
• Smoking
• Alcohol use
• Stress management