Patients at the Cardiac Fitness Institute (CFI) exercise for about 30 minutes, on either the treadmills or exercise bikes. The centre is part of the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and takes care of patients who have any type of heart problem, from a heart attack to valve problems.
“Your whole life has to change after a heart attack,” says John Bruner, a cardiac patient who has had three heart attacks.
“Last June 2015 was the big one. I didn’t keel over, and I wasn’t in a lot of pain but I was totally wiped right out. I couldn’t walk across the room and then had a triple bypass.”
Bruner also makes sure he is eating properly to keep his heart healthy, and stressed the importance of exercising. “Half an hour of your life is not bad, not a couple of times a week.”
Dr. Larry Patrick, the CFI medical director, says that managing blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol are some of the benefits your heart receives from exercising. Other advantages include better sleep and less stress. He adds that a proper diet is also key, including reducing egg yolks, red meat and dairy.
“It’s not that you have to completely stay away from them, it’s that you should cut down on them,” he explained.”
As part of National Cardiac Rehabilitation Week, the CFI is encouraging anyone with a history of heart disease to find out more about their facility. The centre will have been part of the LHSC for 35 years as of March 2016.
