Benefits of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise

Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise is exercise in which oxygen is continuously being delivered toyour muscles. Examples are walking, jogging, biking, swimming, etc.

Benefits of cardiovascular exercise include:

o lncreases the amount of blood pumped by your hearto Lowers heart rate and blood pressure during rest and exerciseo Increases HDL (the good cholesterol)o Decreasestriglycerides

o Physical activity may also decrease insulin requirements for people with diabeteso Reduces workload on the heart during exerciseo Reduces body fat and improves weight controlo Increases stamina and reduces fatigueo Wards off viruses by boosting your immune systemo Reduces depression, anxiety, and stress and promotes relaxation

Strength Training

Strength training, or resistance exercise, is any movement that causes the muscle tocontract against a resistance. Benefits include:

o Increases muscle strengtho Increases strength of tendons (connects bone to muscle) and t igaments (connects bone

to bone)o Potent ia l ly improvesf lexibi l i ty

o Increases bone density, which reduces symptoms of osteoporosiso lmproves balance

**The warm-up and cool-down are extremely important when doing any type of exercise.

Please consult with your physician before starting an exercise program.

Cardiac Rehab

What is Cardiac Rehab?

Cardiac rehab is a monitored exercise program specifically for patients who have

experienced a cardiac event or procedure.

What are the different phases of cardiac rehab?

Depending on your current cardiac status, you may be considered for one of thesephases:

o Phase l: This phase is for patients who are currently in the hospital with one of

the above diagnoses. They are educated on heart disease and wil l ambulate with

nurses, physical therapists, or EPs (exercise physiologists).

o Phase l l : This is an outpatient program in which patients are EKG monitored

throughout their exercise session and vital signs are taken on a daily basis. l t iscovered by most insurance companies and typical ly lasts for L2 weeks or up to36 sessions.

o Phase l l l : This is a maintenance program for pat ients who have completed phase

ll or are at r isk of having a cardiac event. l t is a self-pay program but a doctor's

referral must be received. Vital signs are checked daily, but an EKG session

occurs only every 3 months.

Who quali f ies for phase l l cardiac rehab?

Patients who have experienced these events or procedures within the stated t imeframequalify for phase l l cardiac rehab:

o Coronary Stent (within 6 months)o Heart Attack (within L2 months)o Coronary Artery Bypass Graft ing (within 6 months)o Heart Valve Replacement (within 6 months

o Stable Angina

o Heart Transplant (within L2 months)

Commercial insurances wil l typical ly cover addit ional diagnoses, such as congestiveheart fai lu re, cardiomyopathy, a rrhythm ias, etc.

what are the benefits of doing cardiac rehab versus exercising on my own?

While we sti l l recommend for patients to exercise at home, attending cardiac rehab aswell wil l offer these addit ional benefits:

o EKG monitoring to watch heart rates and rhWhmso Blood pressure and blood sugar ( i f diabetic) monitoringo Individualized exercise prescript ions written by exercise physiologistso lmmediate communication with doctor's off ice i f symptoms or complications

arise during your sessiono Monthly progress reports faxed to doctors, officeso ACLS cert i f ied exercise physiologists and CERT team arrival in case of an

emergency

How do I enroll in cardiac rehab?

First you should talk to cardiac rehab staff to determine what phase you wil l quali fy for,and then do the fol lowing:

o Obtain a referral from your doctor (it is accepted by any TX licensed doctor -cardiologist, primary care, internal medicine, etc.)

o Have your insurance verif ied by the hospital 's registration department {theyknow what codes wil l be used for charging)fol lowed by scheduling of init ialassessment