Cardiac Rehabilitation

The Cardiac Rehabilitation program offers a comprehensive curriculum of exercise, education and support designed to help patients with heart disease to safely resume active and productive lives, and reduce the risk of further heart problems.

Phase I
After you have experienced a cardiac episode, you will enter into Phase I while you are still in the hospital. During Phase I, the team develops an activity and education program to meet each patient's individual needs. Rest assured that our team will work with your physician to create a comprehensive exercise plan just for you. Patients also learn about cardiovascular disease, medical procedures, risk factor modification and at-home care.

Phase II
During this outpatient phase, you will work out with others up to three times a week for two to three months at the Vanguard West Suburban Cardiac Rehab Center located on the Vanguard River Forest Medical Campus. To mark your progress and guarantee safety, a cardiologist, cardiac nurse and exercise physiologist monitor your heart and blood pressure before, during and after each exercise period. You increase your endurance, strength and work capacity, learn safe ways to perform daily activity, develop good exercise habits and reduce your risk of a cardiac event. We also help you improve your understanding of cardiac health through informal education on smoking, blood pressure, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, Diabetes and stress.

Phase III
After you graduate from Phase II or if you would like to be involved in a medically supervised cardiac fitness program, we offer an outpatient program designed to maintain cardiovascular health and fitness. A cardiac nurse or exercise physiologist supervises each session, where you participate in a variety of aerobic activities, strength training and balance exercises. We even check your blood pressure and heart rate before, during and after each workout to ensure that your activity level is safe.