Cardiac Rehabilitation

If you’ve had a heart attack or heart surgery, or have a cardiovascular condition, your provider may refer you for cardiac rehabilitation.

Request an Appointment

For Cardiac Rehabilitation related requests:

1-800-777-8442

For all other requests::: Iowa River Landing: 1-319-467-2038

:: Medical Center Downtown: 1-319-339-3776

University of Iowa Health Care’s medically supervised cardiac rehab program offers several resources to help you improve your heart health. These include:

Personalized exercise plans

We’ll teach you exercises that make your heart stronger and help you move more easily.

Educational classes

Our free classes cover topics like stress management and heart healthy diets.

One-on-one coaching and consultations

You can sign up for our smoking cessation program or schedule a nutrition assessment with one of our registered dietitians.

We’re also one of the few health systems nationwide that offers a virtual (telemedicine) program. This option is available to eligible patients who prefer to complete their cardiac rehab plan at home.

Our goal is to help you function and feel better, no matter what your age or fitness level.

How cardiac rehab works

Phase I cardiac rehab

Phase I cardiac rehab is also known as inpatient cardiac rehab.

You may need to stay in the hospital after certain heart procedures or a heart attack. If so, you’ll begin working with our cardiac rehab specialists before you’re discharged home.

We’ll help you perform simple exercises that build strength and stamina and lower your risk of complications.

Phase II cardiac rehab

Phase II is also called outpatient cardiac rehab. It’s a 12-week program that includes up to 36 sessions of monitored exercise. Eligible patients have the option of completing their sessions virtually or in person at either UI Health Care Iowa River Landing or Medical Center Downtown.

During this phase, you’ll work closely with our team of exercise physiologists, cardiac nurses, and other specialists. You also have access to our educational classes, smoking cessation program, and nutrition counseling.

Together we’ll help you improve your physical fitness and reduce your risk of additional heart problems. We can also help you learn how to build exercise and healthy eating into your daily routine.

Phase III cardiac rehab

Phase III is also known as our maintenance and prevention program. It’s an optional resource for phase II graduates who want to continue exercising at our cardiac rehab center. It’s also available to certain people who are high-risk for heart disease and have a referral from their provider at Medical Center Downtown.

How we help you make the most of cardiac rehab

We’ll guide you through your cardiac rehab journey and help you feel comfortable and confident at every step along the way. Throughout phase II, you can expect:

A functional assessment: Before you begin any exercises, you’ll undergo a functional evaluation. This assessment measures your strength, endurance, and other physical abilities. We use this information to create your exercise plan, which may include aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretches.
A facility orientation: If you plan to attend your exercise sessions in person, we’ll show you how to safely use our equipment. Depending on what’s included in your exercise plan, this may include treadmills, stationary bikes, and hand weights.
Ongoing monitoring: When you exercise at our facility, we’ll take various health measurements at each session. This includes your weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar level if you’re diabetic. We’ll also continuously record your heart rate and rhythm. This helps us see how your heart responds to different types and levels of exercises and ensures you don’t exceed your target heart rate.
Family participation: Your loved ones play an important role in helping you stick to your plan, meet your goals, and support you throughout your cardiac rehab journey.

Who can benefit from cardiac rehab?

Your doctor may refer you for cardiac rehab if you’ve recently had a heart attack or one of the following procedures:

Heart surgery, including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
Heart transplant
Interventional (cardiac catheterization) treatments such as an angioplasty, stent placement, or atherectomy
Valve replacement or repair

You may also benefit from cardiac rehab if you’ve been diagnosed with one of the following conditions:

Cardiac Rehabilitation