Encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle for people with cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack, cardiac disease, stroke and transient ischemic attack
The Cardiovascular Rehab and Wellness Program at Markham Stouffville Hospital is an education and exercise program for patients with cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack, cardiac disease, stroke, and transient ischemic attack referred by a Physician or Nurse Practitioner at Oak Valley Health.
Patients with any of the following risk factors may also benefit from this program:
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Increased stress level
- Inactive lifestyle
- Are or have a history of smoking
Goals of the Cardiovascular Rehab and Wellness Program
The goals of the program are to:
- Optimize cardiovascular function and endurance
- Teach strategies to maintain physical health and well being
- Empower participants to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle
Program details
The 12-week program includes:
Weekly 2-hour Exercise and Education session on Wednesday afternoons
- Group exercise session with components of both aerobic and resistance exercise, followed by an education session
- Delivered by an interprofessional team including Physiotherapists, Pharmacists, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Mental Health Nurses and Registered Dietitians
- Topics include stress management, healthy eating, medications management, safe exercise, blood pressure management and more
Physiotherapy Assessment
- Prior to the program, participants will attend a 1-hour Physiotherapy assessment to evaluate the readiness to safely exercise by taking baseline measurements of physical fitness and quality of life/mood
- Assessments take place at Markham Stouffville Hospital, Clinic 2
The program currently requires a referral from a Physician or Nurse Practitioner from the outpatient Stroke Prevention or Cardiac clinics. For more information, call 905-472-7601.