What is the Cardiac Rehab scheme?
Cardiac rehab is a programme that supports people to get back to as full a life as possible following a cardiac event such as heart surgery or a heart attack.
There are two phases that we facilitate – phase III and phase IV.
PHASE III
You will be medically referred following a cardiac event to phase III. The scheme runs for 4-12 weeks and participants need to be able to commit to at least one exercise session per week. Phase III is taken by an NHS cardiac nurse and assisted by a fitness consultant.
£3.50 / session
PHASE IV
You will have completed the phase III course. The scheme runs for 12 weeks and participants need to be able to commit to at least one exercise session per week. Phase IV is taken by a specialist fitness consultant.
£3.50 / session
Who is the Cardiac Rehab scheme suitable for?
It is suitable and specific for people who have experienced a cardiac event, including those who may not have exercised before, or not for a very long time.
What are the benefits for participants?
Many benefits are gained by taking regular exercise including improved muscle tone, strength, fitness, energy levels, mobility and flexibility, a decrease in body fat, maintenance of healthy body weight, a boost in confidence, reduced blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, reduced risk of heart disease, increased bone density as well as all the social/mental benefits.
What do I do? How do I start?
Firstly you will need to have a referral from a heath professional to join the scheme. Referrals can come from your GP, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist or Consultant etc. Once you have your referral you will then contact your local Mid Devon Leisure facility to book a consultation with a member of the fitness team.
Some important tips
A national fitness survey found that the majority of the population did not take enough exercise necessary to achieve benefits to their health. Mid Devon District Council and local health professionals want to improve this situation.
This scheme is being funded with the support of Mid Devon Public Health and Mid Devon Leisure services and aims to encourage people to become more active.
Exercise should be fun – we hope that you enjoy your time as an Active Start customer and that regular exercise becomes a part of your lifestyle.
- Always warm up properly before exercising
- Wear loose-fitting clothing and flat shoes
- Start gently and build up gradually
- After a heavy meal wait at least 2 hours before exercising
- Never exercise when you have a cold or feel unwell
- Ensure you cool down and stretch after exercise
- If it starts to hurt – STOP!
- The NHS physical activity guidelines for adults states that to stay healthy adults should aim to achieve at least 150 moderate/or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week (or a combination of the two).
One minute of vigorous activity = 2 minutes of moderate activity.
Adults should also complete strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). This should be your target – it may take a few weeks to get there but when you do you will feel so much better physically and mentally.
Activities can include gardening, walking, housework, DIY and so on. They do not need to be sport-related.
