Participants in the Onsite Classes:
You should make a plan to exercise regularly in your home or community along with your program at the Heart Institute. This way, by the time you finish the rehabilitation program, independent exercise will already be part of your routine.
This booklet, along with your physiotherapist, will help you plan an appropriate exercise program. Most of the information provided in this booklet will be explained to you in short presentations at the end of each of your classes. Please bring the booklet home: you do not need to bring it to each class. It is meant to be a resource for you to consult at home, a reminder of what you have learned in class. We also encourage you to consult Appendix 7 on page 74 for useful information about the classes, including our track rules for safety.
Participants in the Case-Managed Home Program (CMHP):
You will be working with a mentor (nurse or physiotherapist) over the phone for about three months. Your mentor will help to guide you in the health changes you want to make.
Please read Appendix 8 for information about team and participant responsibilities as well as attendance and discharge policies.
Participants in the Brief Program:
This is the program with the least amount of interaction and support from our staff. However, as with all other programs, please do not hesitate to contact your physiotherapist if you have questions or are experiencing difficulties in reaching your lifestyle goals. Also, remember you can attend the nutrition, stress management, and physical activity workshops available through Cardiac Rehab. Please speak to your physiotherapist about registering.
An Important Note
The staff members of the cardiac rehabilitation centre are part of your health care team. Our main purpose is to help you adopt healthy lifestyle habits to manage your heart disease. While we want you to let us know of any changes to your health, we cannot diagnose any new symptoms you may be feeling.
To help us provide you with the best care, it is important that you follow these three guidelines below.
- If you are experiencing a change in your cardiac symptoms (for example, more frequent angina, unusual shortness of breath, etc.), follow-up with your family doctor or cardiologist or go to the nearest hospital emergency. They will have the necessary resources to treat you.
- Please do not present yourself to the exercise classes or workshops with new symptoms. If you are unwell, you should not be exercising that day.
- If you have something that might be passed along to others (a cold/flu, a new cough, a fever, unusual shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, pink eye, etc), do not present yourself to the cardiac rehabilitation centre for any onsite appointments (including exercise classes). We kindly ask you to call to notify us and reschedule any individual appointment or missed workshop. You can notify your physiotherapist by phone if you are going to miss multiple exercise classes.