Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program that provides exercise, education, and counseling to help patients who have experienced a heart event or are diagnosed with heart disease. Valley’s three phases of cardiac rehab help patients increase their physical fitness, reduce cardiac symptoms, improve their overall health, and reduce their risk of future heart problems.
Valley’s cardiac rehab team – including registered nurses, exercise physiologists, and a registered dietitian – guide you through each phase of your personalized cardiac therapy program that meets your specific needs. Our cardiac rehab specialists start your rehab at the bedside and continue through a monitored outpatient program, providing you with continuity and compassionate heart care.
Learn more about the three phases of cardiac rehabilitation at Valley:
Phase 1: Inpatient Cardiac Rehab During Your Hospital Stay
If you are hospitalized following heart surgery or another cardiac procedure, your phase 1 cardiac rehab will start at your bedside. One of our team members will be the first to get you out of bed and mobilized as we begin to help you get moving. Our team connects with you by providing early recommendations to improve your heart’s health and provide you with education and information about our phase 2 and phase 3 programs.
Exercising after a heart attack or heart surgery may be scary for you, so our team will go over any questions you have before you leave the hospital. We can discuss incision care, how to get up out of a chair or car, what to expect in the weeks ahead, and what to watch out for if you have any medical or emotional issues.
You will need a referral from your cardiologist or advanced practice nurse to begin phase 2 of cardiac rehabilitation once you leave the hospital. We can help coordinate that with your healthcare provider.
For Same-Day Procedures: If you have undergone a same-day procedure, a member of our team will meet you while you are recovering here and provide you with information about the phase 2 program before you are discharged to go home.
For Patients Diagnosed with Heart Disease: You may be eligible for cardiac rehab if you have been diagnosed with stable angina or heart failure and meet certain medical criteria. If you are interested, please discuss this with your cardiologist, and call us at 201-447-8227 for more information.
Phase 2: Monitored Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation in Paramus
Valley’s phase 2 monitored cardiac rehab program takes place at our state-of-the-art cardiac rehabilitation suite at 140 East Ridgewood Ave., Suite 640N, in Paramus (adjacent to The Valley Hospital). To schedule your first cardiac rehab appointment, call 201-447-8227.
Please bring your insurance card(s) and ID. Wear comfortable clothes and bring water or another hydration beverage. We encourage you to bring a family member or support person to join us for your first appointment.
Here’s what you can expect during phase 2 of your cardiac rehabilitation program:
Overall Health Evaluation
Prepare to spend about one hour with us for your first cardiac rehab appointment. You will be welcomed to our facility by one of our cardiac rehab team members. Our phase 2 team is led by a board-certified cardiologist and includes exercise physiologists, registered nurses, and a registered dietitian. They are the same team that you met in The Valley Hospital if you were hospitalized and received phase 1 cardiac rehab.
To get you started, you’ll have an initial evaluation to help us determine any limitations or cardiovascular risk factors. Our fitness equipment can accommodate patients of all abilities, including those who experience limited mobility and/or use a cane or walker.
Next, we’ll consider and address any possible health complications that could emerge during rehab. This could include treating high blood pressure, angina, or other heart conditions.
Once our team collects this information, you and your rehab team will collaborate to develop an evidence-based personalized rehab plan based on your specific needs and goals. This means your rehab plan will include a monitored exercise plan and support that have been proven to be effective.
A Personalized Cardiac Rehab Program
Your individual cardiac rehabilitation program will be prescribed, monitored, and supervised by medical professionals. Our facility features a variety of exercise equipment, including treadmills, elliptical machines, bicycles, weights, and other equipment. At each appointment, we will take your vital signs when you arrive. While you exercise, cardiac telemetry monitoring and electronic reporting technology that checks your heart activity will relay information to your physician to help monitor your progress. All patients are within the sight lines of the cardiac rehab team at all times. All our rehab specialists are certified in basic life support CPR, and our facilities contain an on-site automated external defibrillator if needed.
Your rehab team will also provide counseling and guidance to make certain you continue to improve. You may also wish to schedule a one-on-one appointment with our registered dietitian, who will guide you in making healthy food choices to reduce your cardiovascular risk. Our dietitian is a member of Valley Dining, our award-winning food and nutrition services, who has many years of experience in helping cardiac patients improve their food plans.
Most patients complete 24 to 36 sessions of phase 2 cardiac rehab, with two to three sessions each week for 12 weeks, depending upon their insurance coverage. Your exercise program will be updated every 30 days.
Even if you cannot come to all of the sessions, please try to make as many as you can because all exercise will result in progress for you and your heart. Most patients receive exercises they can continue at home during phase 2; these will help if you cannot come to all of your sessions.
Support and Fellowship
In addition to the physical benefits that patients experience, cardiac rehab bonds people together. Once patients meet here, they form a community within our small-group atmosphere. Cardiac rehab sessions often become an informal support group that lends to positive social interactions. Often, patients meet outside the gym for meals, fun activities, networking, and support. Our cardiac rehab team finds it incredibly gratifying when our patients come back to visit us after they have “graduated” from phase 2.
After you complete your phase 2 cardiac rehab program, we’ll give you tools and guidance to continue your progress on your own.
Phase 3: Independent Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Programs in Mahwah
Valley’s phase 3 cardiac rehab is an independent exercise program that takes place at Valley Health Lifestyles, located at the Valley Center for Health and Wellness, 1400 MacArthur Blvd., in Mahwah. To get started with Valley’s phase 3 cardiac rehab program, call 201-389-0839.
Valley Health LifeStyles includes all of the exercise equipment you have been using during phase 2, plus showers, lockers, and several fitness rooms. Large picture windows provide gorgeous views of a tree-lined vista. The center also includes other Valley services, including diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, a retail pharmacy, and outpatient physical therapy.
Getting Started with Phase 3
Phase 3 is a self-pay program that phase 2 graduates can choose to continue building their strength, reduce cardiac risks, and improve their overall health. A cardiologist’s referral is not necessary, but some patients who have had a cardiac event or diagnosis of heart disease may require physician clearance before they begin.
You will continue your exercise program within a small group overseen by an exercise physiologist, with support from personal trainers and other fitness specialists. LifeStyles emphasizes medical fitness, differing from other gyms that are simply places to work out. This important difference encompasses:
- Medical oversight of programs and policies
- Professional fitness and licensed healthcare staff
- Exercise programming for the entire family, special-needs groups, and seniors
- Focus on physical activity as a means to prevent and recover from disease and injury
- Fitness assessments, individualized exercise programs, and periodic reassessments to meet participants’ goals
Phase 3 is open-ended. You can attend as often and as long as you wish. We hope that you will continue to enjoy the program, make meaningful connections, and improve your health and quality of life.