“I entered anxious, and I left confident.” Cardiac rehab patient shares his experience

[Allina Health Newsroom, February 05, 2025] 70-year-old Steve Youngs was bowling when he felt a tightness across his chest. That feeling revealed he had coronary artery disease, which can make someone more susceptible to additional heart complications.

He turned to Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute (AHMHI) for an angioplasty and stent insertion to improve blood flow.

“After that, I knew I needed to also make some changes to how I eat and exercise,” said Steve. 

When his care team recommended intensive cardiac rehabilitation, Steve decided to give it a try. The program is at Allina Health – Eden Prairie, where Steve lives. 

“We started offering the cardiac rehab program in Eden Prairie in 2024 to provide these services close to home to patients in the southwest metro,” said Erin Cuta, manager of Cardiac Rehabilitation Services at AHMHI – Eden Prairie. “Whether you’re recovering from a recent cardiac event or surgery, managing a chronic cardiac condition or are at high risk for recurring heart events, cardiac rehabilitation supports your recovery and safe return to everyday activities, improving your physical and mental wellbeing.”

The program collaborates with Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) which is based on three focus areas, or “pillars”:

• regular exercise
• heart-healthy eating
• healthy mind-set

“The facility has a commercial kitchen which allowed me to try recipes, so I knew I’d like them. We’d work together and talk about substitutions and modifications. I was really surprised to learn how much salt and sugar are in foods we eat all the time,” said Steve.

Register dietitian Jennifer Guptail agrees that the kitchen creates wonderful education opportunities.

“We offer cooking classes with the goal of preparing tasty, satisfying meals that are primarily plant-based and low in sodium, added fat and added sugar. Demonstrating how to prepare the dishes and offering samples allow patients to learn new ways to prepare foods and expose them to options they may not have tried before,” said Guptail.

Steve got the same hands-on approach to exercise. Steve admits he was initially apprehensive about what his body could take on. He appreciated the opportunity to exercise while being monitored by a care team member, so he could gauge how much to safely exert himself and then learn what that felt like.

“I entered anxious, and I left confident,” said Steve. “Fourteen weeks later, I have a good handle on how to improve my health. I would recommend this to everyone.”

To learn more about the program, go to AllinaHealth.org. Patients need a referral from their specialist or primary care provider to take part in a cardiac rehab program.

Posted on February 05, 2025 in Allina Medical Clinic, Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute