Cardiac Rehabilitation

If you have had a heart attack or heart surgery, Cardiac Rehabilitation gives you and your family the information, support and advise you need to get you back on your feet again.
Cardiac Rehabilitation involves exercise and information that help you get back to everyday life as quickly as possible.

Cardiac Rehabilitation will help you:

• Recover from your heart surgery or heart attack
• Make changes to your lifestyle that will help improve your health
• Reduce the risk of a further heart attack

More than 30 years of scientific research have proved that rehabilitation is one of the most effective life-saving treatments available. Heart patients who do not take part in cardiac rehabilitation are 25 per cent more likely to die in the following two to five years.
Many people live in fear of another heart attack - and with good reason. About 10 per cent of those who have a heart attack will have another one within a year of leaving hospital. This risk drops to about three per cent every year after that.
Proper rehabilitation, which includes making changes to your lifestyle, can reduce these risks and increase your life expectancy.
Many people are terrified of exercising after a heart attack for fear that it will trigger another attack, but exercise helps to speed recovery.
A gradual increase in exercise helps the heart to get back in shape and adapt to any scars left behind. It also improves general wellbeing and encourages good quality and regular sleep. It helps test out the heart, so the patient and doctor become aware of any residual problems, such as angina or breathlessness.
It is important to always follow expert advice regarding this gradual increase in exercise. Never overdo things. Excessively vigorous exercise, especially if it includes isometric exercise, can increase the risk of another heart attack.
Working with a qualified Personal Trainer with a Cardiac Rehabilitation qualification, will help you devise a cardio workout at home which is safe and effective.

Louise Hvass of Personalised Fitness led the Exercise component of the Phase III Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme at Milton Keynes General Hospital. Working within the Cardiac Rehabilitation unit at the hospital, Louise is familiar with the challenges facing patients recovering from and living with Coronary Heart Disease, and understands the importance of exercise in the role of recovery and management.

As part of her role in the Hospital, Louise has to keep up to date with knowledge, latest research and training, and is a member and certified Instructor of the BACPR (British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation).

Milton Keynes Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Team – Winners of Team Making an Outstanding Contribution (Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust ‘Oscars’)

A patient said “The A & E Department at Milton Keynes Hospital, saved my life, the nurses in Cardiac Rehab gave it back to me. They built up my strength and confidence, raised my fitness levels, reduced my anxiety, educated me on the circulatory system and provided me with valuable advice about diet, medicines, reducing stress and generally managing myself so as to minimise future risks whilst maximising the quality of life”.

For more details of Cardiac Rehab Exercise classes and one to one Cardiac Rehab please visit:

http://www.cardiac-clinic.co.uk

Personal Training and Health & Wellbeing Services Covering: Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, including Leighton Buzzard, Milton Keynes, Dunstable, Woburn, Flitwick, Toddington, Studham, Eaton Bray, Edlesborough, Mentmore