The following exercise program is designed to help any individual start an exercise routine and improve their cardiovascular fitness. More specifically, it can be used safely as a personalized Cardiac Rehabilitation Program for those patients who have heart disease. Those patients who are going to use this information for that reason should review it in detail with their own private physician.
Please copy and paste the following information into a word processing program:
Personalized Cardiac Rehabilitation Program for:
Name: _____________________________
Program begun : __ /__ /____ __(Date)
Instructions: All medications must be taken as exactly as instructed and ordered, without deviation except with medical instructions. All office visits must be kept. Keep your diet low in sodium/salt, cholesterol, and fat, and high in fiber.
Acceptable exercises: Walking, swimming, stationary bicycle, standard bicycle, stepper, Nordic track, treadmill.
Keep a few tablets or spray canister of nitroglycerin with you at all times if you have a history of heart disease. If at any time you feel chest pain, shortness of reath, dizziness, chest pressure, or other symptoms consistent with heart disease, stop present exercise, rest, and take sublingual nitroglycerin. If needed, repeat after 5 minutes. If symptoms continue afterwards, then go to the Emergency Room nearest you. Notify your personal physician and a cardiologist.
If symptoms should occur and respond to ret and nitroglycerin, you must move rehabilitation plans back 2 weeks. In other words, if you are on week #4 of the program, and symptoms begin, but respond to treatment, resume the program at week #2 of the following day.
You should keep the following to a minumum: Strenuous household activities, shopping, stress, or undue excitement for 2 weeks, exept the exercise program as outlined below:
Week #1: Walk at a slow, comfortable pace for 5 minutes, 3 times per day
Week #2: Walk at a slow, comfortable pace for 8 to 10 minutes, 3 times per day.
Week #3: Walk at a slow, comfortable pace for 12 to 15 minutes, 3 times per day.
Week #4: Walk at a comfortable pace for 8 to 10 minutes, 3 times per day.
Week #5: Walk at a comfortable pace for 12 to 15 minutes, 3 times per day.
Week #6: Walk at a comfortable pace for a total time of 45 to 60 minutes per day.
Week #7: Walk at a brisk pace on odd days for 8 to 10 minutes, 3 times per day.
Week #8: Walk at a brisk pace on odd days for 12 to 15 minutes, 3 times per day. Walk at a comfortable pace on even days for 18 to 20 minutes, 3 times per day.
Week #9: Walk at a brisk pace for 12 to 15 minutes, 3 times per day.
Week #10: Walk at a brisk pace for 45 to 60 total minutes per day.
Week #11: Walk at a brisk pace for 50 to 60 total minutes per day.
Week #12 and on: Walk at a brisk pace for 60 total minutes per day.
Medications: Directions
1. ________________________________
2. ________________________________
3. ________________________________
4. ________________________________
Prescribed Diet:
MD Address and Phone #:
Dates of appointments:
May return to work on date:
# hours per week:
May travel on date:
Next stress test on date:
Special instructions:
