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Cardiac Rehabilitation: Goal Setting
Cardiac Rehabilitation: Goal SettingWhen you have had a heart event, or been diagnosed with heart disease, your body is telling you it’s time to make achange. But any time you decide to change something that is part of your daily routine, it can be difficult and evenoverwhelming. To reduce the stress of change, take a few moments to set goals.In the beginning, you may feel like you want to change everything. Drastic changes may work for the short-term,but they are very difficult to maintain. Soon you will get frustrated and give up. Instead, talk to your cardiacrehabilitation team and come up with a plan that is doable. Together, take a look at your heart disease risk factorsand decide on the area you would like to improve.For example, if you have high blood pressure, you may want to set goals that can help you lower it. If you areoverweight, they can help you set goals to lose weight in a safe and healthy way. If high stress is one of your riskfactors, talk to your cardiac rehab team about goals you can set to reduce the daily stress you face and ways to limityour reaction to stress. Once you decide on a risk factor you would like to work on, set a goal.For best results make your goals SMART. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.And setting SMART goals when making healthy lifestyle changes will help you take the idea of a healthy change andturn it into real action.First, be specific. Pick just one goal you want to do. Do you plan to attend cardiac rehab sessions 3 times a week? Or,will you walk on the treadmill 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time? Or, will you aim to reduce the amount ofsodium you eat to less than 1500 mg every day? Whatever goal you set, if it’s specific, you now know what you haveto do it reach it. And you can do it.To find out if you have reached your goal, it must be measurable. Did you attend cardiac rehab 3 times this week?Did you walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes, 3 times? Did you reduce the sodium you eat to reach your goal?Measureable goals allow you to see how well you are doing and make adjustments if necessary.Is your goal attainable? In other words, can you reach your goal? It’s important to set goals that aren’t too easybecause where’s the challenge in that? And not too difficult because you don’t want to get frustrated and give up.Try to set a goal that is not too far from where you are now, but far enough that you have some work to do.Each goal you set should also be realistic for you. After all, they are your goals and need to fit into your life. Withyour busy work and family schedule can you walk in your neighborhood 5 nights a week? Maybe 3 nights a week andonce at lunch is more realistic for now. Remember, work together with your cardiac rehabilitation team to setrealistic goals.Because you have a medical condition and may be recovering from a heart event, it is important that the goals youPage 1 of 2This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.hc_ha_10245_96_en_t00002.pdf© The Wellness NetworkCardiac Rehabilitation: Goal Settingset are realistic for your condition. You are making healthy lifestyle changes for the long-term, so do it safely.And finally, every goal you set should be timely. Set an end date. Without a timeframe to reach a goal you maynever get there. I will join a water aerobics class before my birthday. I will attend a cardiac rehabilitationnutrition session this week. I will choose low sodium products when I grocery shop this week. Once you reach agoal, don’t stop there! Set another. This is a journey to better heart health. Take it one step at a time and youwill get there.Starting to make healthy lifestyle changes can be difficult. Especially when you have the added pressure of aheart disease diagnosis or are recovering from a heart event. But your cardiac rehabilitation team can help youset goals that are SMART. Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely; helping you reduce your riskfactors and improve your heart health safely.Page 2 of 2This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.hc_ha_10245_96_en_t00002.pdf© The Wellness Network
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