Cardiac rehabilitation - also called cardiac rehab - is an outpatient program of exercise and education. Cardiac rehabilitation is designed to help you recover from a heart attack, other forms of heart disease or surgery to treat heart disease.Cardiac rehabilitation is often divided into phases that involve monitored exercise, nutritional counseling, emotional support, and support and education about lifestyle changes to reduce your risks of heart problems. The goals of cardiac rehabilitation are to establish an individualized plan to help you regain strength, to prevent your condition from worsening, to reduce your risk of future heart problems, and to improve your health and quality of life.Cardiac rehabilitation programs increase your chances of survival. Both the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recommend cardiac rehabilitation programs.