Recovering from cardiovascular disease is often difficult and requires a long-term commitment to change. Patients need the support of loved ones and the expertise of caring professionals.

The Duke Health and Fitness Center offers a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program for those recovering from a cardiovascular event, including heart attack, unstable angina, angioplasty, and coronary bypass surgery.

A part of the renowned Duke University Medical Center, the Health and Fitness Center draws upon a multidisciplinary team of physicians, exercise physiologists, physician assistants, nurses, nutritionists, physical therapists, and psychologists. Since 1976, the Duke Health and Fitness Center has helped thousands of cardiac patients overcome disabling cardiac events and return to a full, active life.

One of our goals is to help you begin a long-term, self-directed program of exercise and lifestyle change -- both at home and in a facility such as the Duke Health & Fitness Center. The Health & Fitness Center will enable you to continue your positive lifestyle changes in a medically based environment.

Our program is designed to help you progress quickly from a cardiac event or hospitalization to a level of wellness at which you can return to work, pursue your favorite activities, and live a healthier life. Our program begins with physical rehabilitation and includes psychological support, nutrition modification and education, and lifestyle counseling -- all aimed at helping heart patients help themselves.

You will join others who have experienced similar cardiac problems in participating in medically supervised exercise sessions designed to teach you how to monitor your own exercise program.

Comprehensive nutrition classes teach you how to lower your intake of fat, cholesterol, and sodium while eating foods that fit into your lifestyle. We discuss how to prepare heart-healthy meals without sacrificing taste, and how to read food labels and keep you abreast of the latest findings in nutrition research.

We also offer stress management and behavioral classes and a support group, and encourage participation in mind-body classes. You may schedule individual consultations with the psychologist to help you adjust and maintain lifestyle changes, manage stress, break habits, and overcome barriers that stand between you and a healthier life.

Our weekly wellness lectures provide comprehensive education about medicine, health, and fitness. The lectures are presented by a variety of health care professionals, including cardiologists, psychologists, exercise physiologists, physical therapists, nurses, and nutritionists.

The Duke Health and Fitness Center is certified by the State of North Carolina and follows the North Carolina Cardiac Rehabilitation guidelines, enabling participants to qualify for Medicare and major medical insurance coverage. We will work with your provider to determine coverage.

For more information about the Duke Health and Fitness Center’s cardiac rehabilitation program, call 919-660-6724.

Locations

This service is available at:

• PepsiCo Fitness Center
  3475 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705