After two serious heart events, retiree Tony Cimarosti is on the right track. His cardiologist is happy with the progress and so is he.
Twice a week, Cimarosti, 66, attends the Cardiac Wellness Program at the Toldo Lancer Centre (TLC), working on his heart health alongside others who have gone through similar experiences.
"My cardiologist always gives me great reports," he shared. "At every check-in, he tells me everything looks good and that he'll see me next year. I like hearing that."
After surviving a heart attack and coronary artery blockage in 2011, Cimarosti had five stents inserted. He began making lifestyle changes and exercising on his own after completing a hospital-run rehab program. But in 2024, he developed another calcium blockage and needed two more stents.
Cimarosti, determined to continue his heart health journey, joined the maintenance program at the University of Windsor, where he has been attending classes regularly since September.
"At my last intervention, I found out the arteries with my first five stents were completely blocked, but my heart had grown a new one around it," he said. "I credit the wellness program for doing that exercise really promotes that type of improvement in your heart."
The program was developed in partnership with Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH), continuing the six-month active program offered at the hospital's rehabilitation centre. It is supervised by kinesiology students and open to anyone looking for continued support after a cardiac event.
"The goal of the program is to help our patients strengthen their heart overall, maintain that strength, as well as help them accomplish any specific exercise goals that they have in mind, whether that be to improve their balance, coordination, overall muscular strength and tone," said cardiac rehab supervisor Brian Tonkin.
The Cardiac Wellness Program offers two classes per week, where participants get started with a warm-up to get their heartbeats up, followed by some circuit-style strength training, and then 30 minutes of cardio and a cool down.
Staff check each participant's heart rate, blood pressure and other vitals before and during exercise to ensure they're staying on track.
"It's great to be able to get to see the patients progress," Tonkin said. "When they perform consistent exercise, you start to see that slight decrease in blood pressure and slight decrease in heart rate, which are all indicators for a healthier and stronger heart."
For Cimarosti, there is an added comfort in knowing the professional staff is on-site, ready to help.
"I enjoy this more than when I just had my gym membership and would knock off the half hour and not talk to anyone," he said. "The technicality was there, but this provides so much more."
The program aims to take a holistic approach to building that healthier heart, Tonkin said, often bringing in nursing students to take on a teaching role by hosting talks, exploring topics like sleep and the importance of strength training as you age.
"When patients first enter the active cardiac rehab program, it's quite a change in their life, and you see a lot of fear and unknowns surrounding what they can and cannot do for exercise. So here we try to teach them how to improve their lifestyle and overall exercise confidence," Tonkin said.
In addition to the twice-weekly classes, program participants are also granted full access to TLC facilities, including other classes like spin or water aerobics, to continue their health journey on their own.
"You can't just go get the stents and call it a day," Cimarosti added. "It's a new lifestyle for anybody with a cardiac issue."
The Cardiac Wellness Program is open to graduates of the HDGH active program, as well as individuals cleared by their healthcare provider for supervised physical activity. Classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. for 16 weeks, with a cost of $192 and full TLC facility membership cost built into the cost. To learn more, email mike.mcmahon@uwindsor.ca
