Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation helps heart patients have a better life | Moves in Medicine

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Only about one in four heart attack survivors take part in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.

A Northeast Philadelphia woman says it didn’t just strengthen her heart, it changed her life.

Yelena Moldaver remembers vividly that day in October 2023.

“Suddenly, I felt the chest pain. I started feeling nauseous. I was short of breath,” she said.

Moldaver knew it was a heart attack and told her son to get her to a hospital emergency room right away.

But as doctors began to open blocked arteries with stents, “I suffered a cardiac arrest,” she said.

Her son later told her he thought they lost her.

Fortunately, doctors revived Moldaver, and she began recovering. But she was afraid for her future.

“I had severe anxiety, I was depressed,” she said.

Those feelings began to turn around with cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and Temple Health rehab therapist Toni Jordan.

Jordan says many heart attack survivors feel broken.

“Our goal is to give them a better quality of life through exercise,” she said.

Doctors usually refer patients during their initial recovery. Moldaver had a referral even before she left the hospital after a five-day ICU stay.

Rehab starts slowly, with just a few minutes on the treadmill, arm cycle, or with weights.

“Many of them have never exercised before in their lives,” said Jordan.

The process is safe and controlled.

“They are actually hooked up to an EKG while they are here the entire time,” she said.

Blood pressure is also checked before, during, and after each session.

Along the way, during the twice-weekly sessions, patients learn about their heart, their medications, and making better eating decisions.

Patients also learn to have confidence in their bodies and their abilities.

“They exercise more on their own. They just feel better about themselves,” said Jordan.

They also cheer each other on.

“A lot of our patients actually become good friends,” she said.

They also learn to make exercise a lifelong habit.

“The best advice was like – sign up for a gym!” Moldaver said.

She now mixes regular workouts with long walks near her home, enjoying the many trees and their beautiful colors throughout the year. And she recently did the 2025 Philadelphia Heart Walk.

She credits the Temple staff with giving her the confidence to take on the challenge.

“They motivated me to change my life,” she said.

Moldaver says a heart attack is not the end, but a new beginning – a chance to get on a healthier track.

She and Jordan urge more patients to try cardiac rehab. There are no downsides to it, they say.