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Healthy Heart Program
(formerly Outpatient Cardiac Rehab)
 When Bridgeport Hospital first started performing heart procedures in the 1960s, the accepted schedule after the procedure kept patients in bed for three weeks, to rest the heart. Today we know that the earlier you begin to be active again, the better off you are. So we begin inpatient rehabilitation (in the hospital) as early as the day after a procedure.
But cardiac rehab doesn't stop when you leave the hospital. Bridgeport Hospital has created a special 12-week, three-times-a-week Healthy Heart Program (Outpatient Cardiac Rehab) for anyone who has had a heart procedure, not just Bridgeport Hospital patients.
Who Can Benefit From the Healthy Heart Program (formerly Outpatient Cardiac Rehab)
Millions and millions of Americans have heart disease, and about a million have already survived a heart attack. According to the Federal Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, nearly all of them would be better off if they took part in cardiac rehabilitation. However, less than a third participate in such programs.
In fact, anyone who has endured a heart event, such as angina, angioplasty, or open heart surgery can benefit from an outpatient rehabilitation program.
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What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?
The Heart Institute's outpatient cardiac rehab program called Healthy Hearts is designed to strengthen your heart and increase your vitality. In the program, you will learn how hard to push yourself physically. You will learn the different components of an exercise program, how long you should exercise, how frequently you should exercise and the correct way to engage in exercise and physical activity.
In this individually tailored program, you exercise three times a week for up to 36 sessions, depending on your particular needs. The program offers 36 different education classes on nutrition, stress and various cardiac concerns. Your vital signs are monitored very closely by registered nurses and exercise physiologists to make sure your heart is functioning correctly while you exercise.
This program is unique because it goes beyond physical exercise. It is founded on the recognition that controlling heart disease is a life-long, lifestyle issue. In the Healthy Heart Program (Outpatient Cardiac Rehab) you will develop strategies to address all your cardiac risk factors. Our goal is to heal, not just the heart, but the whole person. To help people regain control over their lives when they may feel that heart disease is controlling them, and to give them the tools for healthier, and happier, lives.
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The Four Components of Our 90-Minute Sessions
Each 90-minute session of the Healthy Heart Program (Outpatient Cardiac Rehab) includes four components:
 Exercise. Exercise is good for the muscles, the blood, bones and mind. Exercise can help you sleep better and think more clearly. Exercise also strengthens the heart muscle. The stronger the heart muscle is, the less likely you are to have a heart attack or myocardial infarction. It can improve blood glucose levels—especially important for diabetics. Finally, studies show that exercise can help to alleviate depression, which can affect as many as one in five heart disease patients.
You wear a heart monitor as you exercise, so your heart rate and rhythm can be constantly analyzed. This is reassuring, and gives you the confidence to gradually build up the ability to exercise more vigorously. - Education and dietary counseling. The program places strong emphasis on everything that goes into your body, including food and medications. A dietitian shows you how to keep a food diary, and goes over every item to help you understand how you could be eating in a healthier way.
Also important: education on the causes, signs and symptoms of heart attack. We educate you so you'll recognize what's happening in case there's a "next time."
We also teach you about your medications do and why you are taking them.
For a FREE tape measure to check your risk for heart disease, click here.
- Stress management. There really is a physical connection between stress and heart function. Studies have shown that when people are under stress they are more likely to have heart problems. The program places special emphasis on this mind/body connection. We teach you ways to reduce your stress, such as controlled breathing, imaging techniques (imagining yourself in a serene place), Tai Chi, yoga and other techniques.
 Social support. Studies show that socially isolated people (those who lack a support system of friends or family) fare worse when it comes to heart disease. Many cardiac rehabilitation patients form friendships with fellow program participants. They enjoy getting together with other people who understand what is happening to them and how their lives are being changed by the disease.
Being with a group of people that have been through what you just went through leads to friendships, fellowship, laughter and good times. The camaraderie is wonderful!
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Where is Bridgeport Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Program?
Our brand-new facility (opened February 2008) is located in Fairfield:
1305 Post Road, Suite 105 (in the Brick Walk)
Fairfield, CT
Tel: 203-256-5896
Fax: 203-256-5796
Hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
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What Are The Days and Times of Classes?
Sessions are 90 minutes each throughout the day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. About 8 to 10 people are in each class. Medical education, stress reduction and nutrition education are offered before or after exercise, depending on the |
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