Cardiac rehabilitation is a professionally supervised, multidisciplinary program that is a critical and medically recommended component of recovery for anyone who has experienced a heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty, or heart surgery. It is a personalized and comprehensive program designed to help you regain your strength, prevent your condition from worsening, reduce your risk of future heart problems, and improve your overall health and quality of life. Cardiac rehabilitation is far more than just exercise; it is an integrated program that combines physical activity with extensive education on heart-healthy living and counselling to help you manage stress and navigate the emotional aspects of a cardiac diagnosis.

The ultimate goal is to stabilize, slow, and even reverse the progression of cardiovascular disease, empowering you to live a longer and healthier life. Participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program is one of the most important investments you can make in your long-term well-being after a cardiac event. The program provides a safe, supportive, and medically monitored environment where you can rebuild your physical confidence and learn the essential skills needed to manage your heart condition effectively.

The journey is a partnership between you and a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, including cardiologists, physiotherapists, dietitians, and psychologists. At Fortis Healthcare, our cardiac rehabilitation programs are designed to empower you to lead a fuller, healthier, and more active life, reducing your risk of future hospitalizations and improving your overall prognosis.

The Three Core Components of Cardiac Rehabilitation

A comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program is built on three essential pillars, each tailored to your specific needs and health status. The synergy between these components is what makes the program so effective.

1. Medically Supervised Exercise Training

This is the cornerstone of the program, designed to help you safely improve your cardiovascular fitness and regain physical confidence. It is a scientifically designed approach to strengthening your heart.

The Initial Assessment: Before you begin, you will undergo a thorough medical evaluation. This often includes a six-minute walk test to assess your baseline functional capacity and may involve a graded exercise stress test on a treadmill. This assessment allows the team to understand how your heart responds to exertion and to create a safe and effective exercise prescription just for you.

The Personalized Exercise Prescription: Based on your assessment, your physiotherapist and cardiologist will design a customized plan using the FITT principle:

• Frequency: How often you exercise, typically three sessions per week.
• Intensity: How hard you exercise. This is carefully controlled using your target heart rate range and the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion RPE scale, ensuring you are working hard enough to benefit your heart but not so hard as to put it under undue stress.
• Time: The duration of your sessions, gradually increasing as your fitness improves.
• Type: The kinds of exercise you will do. This includes aerobic exercise like using a treadmill or stationary bicycle to improve cardiovascular endurance, resistance training with light weights to build muscle strength, and flexibility exercises to improve mobility.
• Safety and Continuous Monitoring: During every rehab session, you will be connected to a continuous electrocardiogram ECG monitor via telemetry. This allows the clinical team to watch your heart's rhythm in real-time throughout your workout. Your blood pressure and heart rate are also checked before, during, and after each activity. This constant medical supervision is what makes cardiac rehab the safest possible environment for a person with a heart condition to exercise.

2. Education on Heart-Healthy Living

Knowledge is a powerful tool in preventing the progression of heart disease. Cardiac rehab provides structured education on making lasting lifestyle changes.

In-Depth Nutrition Counselling: You will work with a clinical dietitian to develop a practical and sustainable heart-healthy eating plan. This goes beyond simple advice. You will learn the science behind the recommendations, such as:

• Sodium and Blood Pressure: Understanding how excess sodium causes fluid retention and increases blood pressure, with practical tips for reading food labels and cooking with less salt.
• Understanding Fats: Learning to differentiate between unhealthy saturated and trans fats found in processed foods and healthy unsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds, and olive oil, and their effects on cholesterol.
• The Role of Fiber: Understanding how soluble fiber from sources like oats and beans can help lower LDL and bad cholesterol.

Comprehensive Medication Education: A pharmacist or nurse will review your medications with you in detail. They will explain the purpose of each drug, for example, how beta-blockers protect your heart from stress or how statins work to lower cholesterol production in the liver. This education improves medication adherence, which is critical for preventing future events.

Detailed Risk Factor Management: You will receive personalized education and create a specific action plan for each of your personal risk factors, whether it is high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

3. Counselling and Emotional Support

A cardiac event is a major life event that impacts you emotionally as well as physically. This component of the program is designed to help you heal as a whole person.

• Navigating the Emotional Impact: It is completely normal to experience fear, anxiety about having another event, depression, or even anger after a diagnosis of heart disease. Cardiac rehab provides a safe space to discuss these feelings. You will have access to counselors or psychologists who can provide strategies for coping and improving your mental well-being.
   
• Effective Stress Management: You will learn about the direct physiological link between chronic stress, hormones like cortisol, and heart disease. The program teaches practical, evidence-based stress-reduction techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation.
   
• The Power of Peer Support: One of the most valued aspects of cardiac rehab is the connection with others who have been through a similar experience. Exercising and learning in a group setting with your peers creates a unique sense of community and shared understanding. This peer support can reduce feelings of isolation and provide powerful motivation to adhere to the program and maintain a healthy lifestyle long-term.

The Phases of Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is a structured journey that progresses through several phases to safely guide you from a state of acute illness back to an active and independent life.

• Phase I: Inpatient Rehabilitation: This phase begins the moment you are stable in the hospital after your heart attack, surgery, or procedure. The focus is on early, safe mobilization under the guidance of a physiotherapist. This can be as simple as sitting in a chair, then progressing to short walks in the hospital corridor. This phase also involves initial education for you and your family about your condition and the recovery process ahead.
   
• Phase II: Outpatient Rehabilitation: This is the formal, comprehensive program that most people think of as cardiac rehab. It typically begins a few weeks after you are discharged from the hospital. You will attend supervised sessions at the hospital's cardiac rehab facility, usually three times per week for 12 weeks. This is the intensive phase where you will engage in monitored exercise, attend educational classes, and receive counselling.
   
• Phase III: Maintenance Phase: After you complete the structured outpatient program, the goal is to make the healthy habits you have learned a permanent part of your life. This is a lifelong maintenance phase. You will have the knowledge and confidence to continue your exercise program independently, whether at home or at a gym. Many hospitals also offer less supervised, group-based maintenance programs to help you stay on track and maintain the support of your peers.

Who Can Benefit from Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehabilitation is a standard of care and is strongly recommended for a wide range of patients with a history of heart disease. You are a candidate for the program if you have had:

• A heart attack myocardial infarction.
• A coronary artery angioplasty and stenting procedure.
• Coronary artery bypass graft CABG surgery or other open-heart surgeries.
• Heart valve repair or replacement surgery.
• A heart transplant.
• A diagnosis of stable angina chest pain.
• A diagnosis of certain types of heart failure.

Our Specialists

A successful cardiac rehabilitation program is delivered by a collaborative, multidisciplinary team of experts, led and supervised by a cardiologist.

Dr. Naresh Kumar Goyal

PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR & HOD CARDIOLOGY & HEART FAILURE PROGRAMME | Fortis Shalimar Bagh

Dr. Nishith Chandra

PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR CARDIOLOGY | Fortis Okhla

Dr. Z S Meharwal

CHAIRMAN & HEAD- ADULT CARDIAC SURGERY | Fortis Okhla

Patient Stories

"After my bypass surgery, I was physically weak and emotionally drained. The thought of exercise was terrifying. The cardiac rehab program at Fortis was my turning point. The physiotherapists were so knowledgeable and reassuring. They started me off with just five minutes of slow walking on the treadmill while my heart was monitored. Over three months, they safely guided me to a point where I could exercise confidently for 45 minutes. It didn't just rebuild my body; it rebuilt my trust in my own heart." - Rajesh Kumar, 62, Gurugram

"I had an angioplasty for a blockage, and my cardiologist insisted I join the cardiac rehab program. I thought I just needed to take my medicines, but the program was so much more. The classes on nutrition were an eye-opener. The dietitian gave us such practical advice on how to reduce salt and oil in our everyday Indian cooking without sacrificing taste. That education, combined with the exercise, has helped me lower my blood pressure and cholesterol more than medication alone ever could. It's a complete lifestyle change." - Sunita Menon, 55, Delhi

Myths vs Facts

Take the Next Step

A heart attack or a cardiac diagnosis can feel like a profound disruption in your life, but it is also an opportunity to take decisive action to build a healthier future. A cardiac rehabilitation program is your structured, supportive, and scientifically proven roadmap to recovery. It empowers you to move beyond your diagnosis and actively participate in creating a stronger, more resilient heart.

Investing your time and effort in a cardiac rehab program is an investment in a longer, better quality of life. If you have recently had a cardiac event, talk to your cardiologist today about getting a referral. Our dedicated team is ready to welcome you and partner with you on every step of your journey back to an active and heart-healthy life.

CTA: Enquire About Our Cardiac Rehab Program / Consult a Cardiologist

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How long does a typical cardiac rehabilitation program last?

Ans. The core outpatient program, known as Phase II, typically involves attending sessions three times per week. The full duration of this phase is generally 12 weeks, for a total of 36 medically supervised sessions.

Q2. Is cardiac rehabilitation covered by health insurance?

Ans. Yes, cardiac rehabilitation is a medically prescribed and supervised program. It is covered by most major health insurance plans in India for patients who have a qualifying diagnosis, such as a recent heart attack, angioplasty, bypass surgery, or stable heart failure.

Q3. What should I wear to my cardiac rehab sessions?

Ans. You should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that allows for easy movement, such as track pants and a t-shirt. It is also very important to wear supportive, well-fitting athletic shoes, like sneakers or walking shoes, to ensure your comfort and safety during exercise.

Q4. Will the exercise be too hard for me?

Ans. No, the program is specifically designed to be safe and progressive. Your exercise plan is created based on your individual starting fitness level. You will start very slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your exercise under the constant supervision of the rehab team, at a pace that is right for you.

Q5. What happens if I feel symptoms like chest pain during a session?

Ans. You are exercising in the safest possible environment. The clinical team is constantly monitoring your ECG, heart rate, and blood pressure. If you feel any new or concerning symptoms, you must alert the staff immediately. They are fully trained and equipped to provide immediate medical assistance.

Q6. Can my spouse or a family member attend the education classes?

Ans. Yes, family involvement is strongly encouraged. The support of your loved ones is a very important part of your recovery. It is extremely helpful for them to attend the educational sessions on topics like nutrition and stress management so they can understand and support the lifestyle changes you are making.

Q7. What are the proven benefits of completing a cardiac rehab program?

Ans. The benefits are significant and well-documented in numerous scientific studies. Participating in cardiac rehab is proven to reduce your risk of dying from heart disease, lower your chances of having a future heart attack, help control symptoms like chest pain, improve your overall physical fitness, and enhance your mental well-being and quality of life.

Q8. I have other health problems like diabetes or arthritis. Can I still participate?

Ans. Yes. The cardiac rehab team is highly experienced in managing patients with multiple health conditions, known as comorbidities. Your exercise plan will be tailored to accommodate any physical limitations from conditions like arthritis. The educational component will integrate the management of your other conditions, like diabetes and high blood pressure, into your comprehensive heart-healthy plan.