Cardiac Rehabilitation and Fitness Program

Better fitness is associated with improved long-term outcomes for all patients with heart conditions. We want to help you know how you can safely exercise to improve your fitness. We will help you train your body and your mind, to feel strong and to feel capable of achieving your short and long-term goals for fitness. You may have a specific goal in mind – we will help you achieve it. Some cardiac problems may increase the risk of certain types of exercise, so we will help you learn the type of exercise that is best for you. Sometimes, people can feel symptoms that may be scary; we will help you differentiate what is normal and what may be a sign to slow down or stop. 

When recovering from a cardiac procedure or surgery, fitness can significantly decrease, so this program can help you build back and even surpass where you were beforehand. Additionally, you may even heal faster and feel better when incorporating physical activity during your recovery period.

Benefits of the program may include:

• Helping your body grow stronger
• Building up endurance, muscle strength and flexibility
• Getting back to school, work or other activities faster
• Lowering stress and improving symptoms of depression or anxiety
• Improving your energy
• Developing a positive attitude to exercise/physical activity
• Motivation to maintain and improve fitness on your own

The Cardiac Rehabilitation and Fitness Program is hybrid, which means fitness sessions can occur both in-person and virtually. The initial sessions will always be in person, with some sessions having EKG monitoring, while others may be unmonitored to allow you to learn the feelings associated with various types and intensities of exercise. Some patients will continue with in-person sessions, while others may have the option of some virtual sessions. In-person sessions will occur in the Exercise Lab in the Cardiology Clinic at Children’s National Hospital. Virtual sessions typically occur at home. 

• The program takes place 2-3 times a week for 3-4 months. Each session will last for about an hour, and you will work one-on-one with a clinical exercise physiologist. 
• Sessions will include exercises focused on cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic capacity, muscle strength, flexibility, breathing mechanics and education regarding your future health, your heart condition and any other concerns. The team will check on your progress and set goals every 30 days to keep you on target and a personalized home exercise program will be created.
• Our team is made up of cardiologists and exercise physiologists. If necessary, we will provide education from a nutritionist and arrange consultation with a psychologist.

Patients ages 8-35 who have one of the following:

• Congenital heart disease, such as Tetralogy of Fallot
• Have had certain cardiac surgeries, like the Fontan procedure
• Cardiomyopathy including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
• Cancer survivors with cardiomyopathy/heart failure
• Coronary artery disease due to Kawasaki disease
• Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
• After implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement
• Before and/or after heart transplant
• Before and/or after other cardiac surgery or catheter-based procedure
• Any patient with congenital or acquired heart disease that may benefit from supervised exercise therapy and lifestyle coaching