CARDIAC EXERCISE PROGRAMME
The Cardiac Exercise Programme at OraKinetics is a supervised exercise programme designed to provide comprehensive care to people who have recently experienced a cardiac event or who have been diagnosed with a cardiac disease.
The objectives of the OraKinetics Cardiac Exercise Programme are to:
Increase the functional exercise capacity of the patient
Provide safe individualised and supervised exercise programmes
Provide patient and family support, and develop basic knowledge of exercise to enhance exercise independence
Promote positive lifestyle changes, including nutrition, weight loss, stress management and smoking cessation
Link patients to education sessions and organisations relevant to cardiovascular disease
Improve patient’s overall health and decrease symptoms of heart disease
Eligible Candidates
Patients with any of the following conditions may be eligible for the programme:
Angina pectoris (chest pain)
Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Cardiovascular surgery (bypass of valve replacement/repair)
Documented coronary artery disease
Coronary angioplasty/stent placement
Valve replacement
Assisted implants
Entry Criteria
A Cardiologist’s or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) referral from Te Whatu Ora Te Pae Hauora o Ruahine o Tararua | Midcentral is required for admission to the Cardiac Exercise Programme. If certain entry criteria are met, the 10-week program will be fully funded.
Cardiac Exercise Testing
All patients referred to the clinic will undergo an exercise test with an ECG. The full assessment involves completion of health questionnaires, a submaximal cycle exercise testing and other functional tests as required.
Exercise Programme and
Monitored Exercise Sessions
Based on the results from the exercise testing, and presence of other health/musculoskeletal conditions, an individualised exercise programme will be developed.
Exercise sessions are held twice per week for the 10-week programme. Each session will generally include:
Flexibility, endurance and strength training
Continuous supervision and monitoring of exercise responses
Progression closely monitored and recorded
Patient and physician feedback provided after baseline testing and again after the 10-week re-testing
Patient Monitoring
Heart rate, blood pressure, SaO2 and 30 second ECG will be checked before, during and after each exercise session. This ensures each patient is both safe to undertake their exercise programme and that they have recovered as expected before leaving OraKinetics.