Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is a critical component of your recovery. Eligibility to participate requires a referral from your physician. Most patients are referred for three sessions per week for 12 weeks. This includes EKG monitoring. 

We are here to help you achieve your optimal physical, psychological and social well-being. It’s much more than prescribed exercise to improve your cardiovascular fitness. A cardiac rehab program also helps you learn more about heart disease and the ways you can stabilize or reverse it, including:

• Smoking cessation
• Lowering cholesterol
• Controlling high blood pressure
• Losing weight and weight control
• Improving and managing diabetes
• Learning safe exercise, weight, strength and flexibility training
• Developing healthier eating habits
• Learning and education about your diagnosis and overall wellness

Remember, cardiac rehabilitation is a journey. Think of it as taking important steps toward your heart care goals for improved heart health. You may find it challenging and you may experience difficult moments during rehab, but you also will find that the rewards are many — especially in helping you lower your risk of another cardiac event and readmission to the hospital.

Cardiac rehabilitation is also associated with the following benefits:

• Reduces your cardiac mortality risk by 26%-31%
• Improves your exercise capacity
• Engagement in daily activities you might have missed
• Decreases risk factors for heart disease and other illnesses

We customize an overall rehabilitation plan specific to the individual’s health profile, heart condition and lifestyle factors. We emphasize the safest and most appropriate ways to regain strength and return to an active lifestyle. 

Our facilities include fitness centers with a full array of exercise equipment including treadmills, elliptical and seated exercise machines, weights, resistance bands, stability balls and other equipment.

Our rehabilitation services bring together a multidisciplinary care team of experts to create your individualized cardiac rehab plan. This collaborative approach ensures you receive appropriate exercise and dietary regimens throughout your rehabilitation, and supports you as you learn to develop better lifestyle choices to support your overall heart health.

A Scripps cardiac rehabilitation team includes:

• Supervising physician (available during all sessions)
• Registered nurses
• Exercise physiologists
• Respiratory therapist (for pulmonary rehab patients)
• Registered dietician 
• Medical assistants and exercise instructors as necessary

We offer cardiac rehabilitation services at three locations:

• Cardiac Treatment Center (Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla): 858-626-6493
• Center for Cardiac Health (Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego): 619-260-7181
• Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine (inside Shiley Pavilion): 858-554-3300

Scripps Health knows the importance of good heart health and its impact on your life and livelihood. As a well-recognized, consistent leader in heart care excellence, we are committed to caring for you before, during and after your heart procedure, and we are dedicated to helping you achieve your health goals and improving the quality of your life. So, when you’re searching for “cardiac rehabilitation near me” on your device — or, when it’s just top of mind on your heart care journey following a heart event — look no further than our trusted care. 

In addition to our full-service cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs, we offer community classes that can provide heart patients greater awareness about heart disease, as well as emotional support and motivation for a healthier lifestyle.

We also encourage you to access our newsletters and read the Scripps news items on our website that contain important information about heart health and wellness. Sign up for our newsletter here.