Cardiac Rehabilitation

After a heart attack or other cardiac event, regaining strength and fitness is an ongoing process that takes time, persistence, and medical supervision and support.

At El Camino Health' Cardiac & Pulmonary Wellness Center, our Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to help you reduce your heart disease risk factors, limit the progression of disease, improve your physical functioning, and cope with stress more effectively.

Our heart health classes and medically supervised exercise programs allow you to regain an optimum level of cardiac fitness safely and gradually. Rehabilitation staff will help you choose the appropriate level of care and create an exercise program and class schedule based on your unique needs.

Is Cardiac Rehab Right for You?

Our 12-week program is geared to adults who are recovering from:

• Angina, heart attack or heart failure.
• Heart surgeries — such as coronary artery bypass surgery, heart transplant, or heart valve repair or replacement — or other procedures such as minimally invasive angioplasty and stenting.

When authorized by your doctor, cardiac rehabilitation is covered by most insurance plans.

Heart-Healthy Recovery Plans

Through exercise, classes and our lecture series, you’ll gain strength and fitness, as well as get practical information and tools to help you incorporate exercise and healthy habits into your lifestyle.

Weekly Classes: Education and Exercise

Classes are taught and supervised by nurses and exercise physiologists — under the direction of a cardiologist — and are tailored to each participant’s needs. These hour-long classes meet three times a week and include an exercise portion. You’ll learn to use fitness equipment safely, while a staff member monitors your cardiac activity. In addition, you’ll learn how to manage stress, modify your diet, and make healthy lifestyle changes.

Heart-Healthy Lecture Series

All participants and their family members can attend our weekly Cardiac Risk Reduction Lecture Series, taught by experts from our hospital staff. Topics include heart-healthy nutrition, cholesterol, medications, stress management, exercise and physiology. In addition, we offer a full range of classes and support groups — everything from stress-reduction and smoking-cessation classes to laughter yoga and a heart disease support group just for women.

Customized Exercise Plans

Once you start exercising, you’ll begin to get stronger and gain confidence — our staff will encourage you and help you stay motivated. Rehabilitation staff will adjust your personalized exercise program as you advance, based on your progress and goals. As you’re completing cardiac rehabilitation, we’ll design a plan to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle long term. When you complete the program, you’ll receive a customized exercise plan to follow.

The knowledge and habits you gain from this program not only help lower your heart disease risk, they’ll help you feel better and improve your health overall.

Learn more about the Cardiac & Pulmonary Wellness Center by reading frequently asked questions.