Cardiopulmonary Health and Fitness
a department of Mary Washington Hospital 1201-B Sam Perry Boulevard, Suite 240
(Mary Washington Hospital Campus)
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
540.741.1447 Phone
540.741.1350 Fax
Mon/Wed/Fri: 6:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Tues/Thurs: 7:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Jessie Mountjoy, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC
Director of Clinical Operations, Cardiac Services
Jessica.mountjoy@mwhc.com
Mary Washington Healthcare's cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation program
provides a safe way for individuals with heart conditions or those who
have undergone heart surgery to exercise under the guidance of trained
professionals.
If you've had a heart attack or been diagnosed with a heart condition,
you may feel hesitant to start exercising or making recommended lifestyle
changes. However, our cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation program
allows you to safely improve your physical condition and build confidence
through regular exercise under the supervision of our trained professionals.
The professionals in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation include:
registered nurses
respiratory therapists
exercise physiologists
They help you establish heart-healthy habits like getting regular exercise,
eating a low fat diet, reducing stress and not smoking.
Although emergencies in the rehab setting are rare, the Cardiac & Pulmonary
Rehab team is trained to deal with them.
Benefits of cardiac rehabilitation and pulmonary rehabilitation:
Better chance of avoiding disability
Improved chances of returning to work
Decreased risk of death due to heart disease
Decreased risk of future heart attack
Fewer episodes of reduced blood flow to the heart (cardiac ischemia)
Improved physical functioning and strength
Less of a need for heart-related medications
Lower blood pressure
Lower levels of both “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
and fats in the blood (triglycerides)
Relief from depression, fear and anxiety
Slowed development, or even reversal, of hardening of the arteries (arthrosclerosis)
Weight loss, as many individuals with coronary artery disease are overweight
Clothing: Please wear loose fitting clothing, preferably cottons or cotton
blends. Shoes should be comfortable and designed for exercise with non-slip soles.
Medications: Notify staff of any medication changes. If you have inhalers
or nitroglycerine, please bring them to exercise sessions. If you are
a diabetic, bring your glucometer, snack or glucose tablets to each session.
No perfume or cologne allowed, no gum chewing while exercising.
Early Outpatient Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab
After discharge, you'll follow an individualized program designed by your
rehab team and your doctor based on a complete, non-invasive and painless
evaluation of your physical functioning. No matter what your fitness level
or experience is, your rehab team shows you how to follow your program
at a safe, comfortable pace during three, one-hour sessions each week.
This phase will help you:
Rebuild muscle
Improve your body’s ability to use oxygen by building strength and
endurance, and
Increase your overall physical function and confidence.
During group exercise sessions supervised by your care team, you will wear
a heart monitor, and your blood pressure will be consistently monitored
to assure you are doing well. Should there be any sign of a problem, medical
equipment and expertise are readily available.
Your program will typically last 6-18 weeks with a total of 36 sessions.
You should also attend
weekly educational sessions on topics regarding lifestyle changes to help you reduce cardiac risk
factors. There are six classes:
Risk Factors
Benefits of Exercise
Stress Management & Being Mindful to your Mental Health
Nutrition
Medication Management
Understanding Your Pulmonary Disease and Medications
Maintenance Exercise Program
To have lasting benefits from cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, you
must make a lifelong commitment to exercise. The American Heart Association
recommends that you join an exercise group, local gym, mall walkers program
or start a walking group in your neighborhood. This program enables you
to continue achieving your personal goals in our medically supervised
setting where you will receive support and encouragement as well as ongoing
coordination of your care with your physician. It’s a great way
to stick with the good exercise routines and healthy lifestyle choices
you learned outpatient rehab.
Other tips for individuals having trouble exercising on their own include:
Avoid temptation to completely give up on exercising because you missed a day
Find ways to be more active during the day such as parking a little further
away from the store
Make exercise a routine that is done on the same days at the same times
Try different types of exercise: swimming, biking walking, water aerobics
and so forth
Pace yourself and do not push to the point of chest pains or severe shortness of breath
Ask the Cardiac Experts
Our experts from Mary Washington Cardiology and Cardiopulmonary Health
and Fitness held a live event on Facebook to discuss and answer questions
women's cardiac issues. The experts in part 4 of this 4-part series were
Anna Tomdio, MD, FACC; and Shari Denecke, MS, Exercise Physiologist, MWH
Cardiopulmonary Health & Fitness.
Jessie Mountjoy, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC
