Exercise

As a member of the Virtual Cardiac Rehab program, you and your Case Manager will work hand in hand to develop your personalized exercise plan that is safe and effective for your unique situation.

Regular exercise benefits on cardiovascular risk factors
Increase in exercise tolerance
Reduction in body weight
Reduction in blood pressure
Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol
Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol
Improved quality of life

Patients with newly diagnosed heart disease who participate in an exercise program report an earlier return to work and improvements in other measures of quality of life, such as more self-confidence, lower stress, and less anxiety. Importantly, research has shown that for heart attack patients who participated in a formal exercise program, the death rate is reduced by 20% to 25%. Although the benefits of exercise are unquestionable, the good news is that even greater results can be obtained when regular exercise is combined with the other aspects presented in the VCR program.

Here are some additional resources about exercise and its importance to your heart’s health.

It is imperative that you know how and when to seek further medical attention. As a heart patient, you should report any of the following symptoms:

Chest pain that does not resolve within 5 minutes of resting
If prescribed nitroglycerin tablets, after taking 2 nitroglycerin tablets without
resolution of chest pain symptoms
Unusual shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, vomiting, racing or ‘skipping’
heartbeat, or lightheaded or dizziness that does not go away with rest
New, changing, or worsening of symptoms

There are many options you can take based on the severity of your symptoms. You can: call the Kaiser Permanente advice nurse, go the nearest Kaiser Permanente Acute Care Center (ACC) or local Emergency Department, or call 911.

Get exercise resources and memberships such as Classpass, Active & Fit, and Choose Healthy at kp.org/exercise

Cardio Activity Log