Torrevieja will launch a cardiac rehabilitation program in October to provide continuity

The Torrevieja City Council and the Torrevieja University Hospital will launch a new Phase III Cardiac Rehabilitation program starting next October, aimed at facilitating the continuity of recovery for cardiology patients once the first stages of hospital rehabilitation have been completed.

The program will allow participating patients to maintain a free, adapted physical activity for one year through the use of various municipal sports facilities and services, thus establishing a bridge between healthcare and the resources offered by the Torrevieja City Council.

The initiative has been jointly developed by the Cardiology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation services of the University Hospital of Torrevieja and the Departments of Sports and Prevention and Health Promotion of the Torrevieja City Council.

The goal is to prevent the recovery process from ending after hospital discharge and to facilitate the long-term maintenance of physical exercise and heart-healthy habits, both as part of the recovery and to contribute to the prevention of new cardiovascular events.

FROM THE HOSPITAL TO EVERYDAY LIFE

Cardiac rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary intervention that combines physical exercise, health education, control of cardiovascular risk factors, and the acquisition of healthy lifestyle habits.

The process is generally structured in three phases: Phase I begins during hospital admission and is aimed at achieving safe mobilization and initial recovery. Subsequently, Phase II is carried out on an outpatient basis through a structured program of exercise, health education, and management of risk factors under professional supervision.

The new initiative will strengthen Phase III or community phase, whose objective is to ensure that the progress achieved during the previous stages is maintained over time and becomes part of the patient's daily life when direct health supervision decreases.

In this way, the City Council and the University Hospital of Torrevieja will make it easier for patients to continue exercising in a controlled and adapted way, helping to consolidate the habits acquired during treatment.

ONE YEAR OF FREE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN MUNICIPAL FACILITIES

The program will last one year for each participating patient and will be free of charge, utilizing Torrevieja's municipal sports facilities. Activities and facilities will include the Torrevieja Municipal Gym, Pilates, outdoor cycling, and the Torrevieja swimming pool.

Each patient's participation will be individualized, taking into account their clinical situation and always following the recommendations established by the professionals in charge of the program. Therefore, the program does not offer a generic sports activity, but rather a continuous program adapted to each person's needs after they have completed the initial phases of their cardiac rehabilitation.

HOW TO ACCESS THE PROGRAM

Once phases I and II of cardiac rehabilitation are completed, patients will have the corresponding reports from the Cardiology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation services of the University Hospital of Torrevieja, which will establish the recommendations to continue performing physical activity.

The application can be processed in two ways:

-In person, at the headquarters of the Department of Prevention and Health Promotion, located at Clemente Gosálvez Street, number 37, ground floor.

-Through the Electronic Office of the Torrevieja City Council, accessing the Catalog of Procedures → Health → Available Procedures → SAL02: Application for Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase III.

In both cases, the patient must provide the corresponding medical reports from Cardiology and Rehabilitation at the University Hospital of Torrevieja.

PREVENTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Cardiovascular diseases continue to be a major public health problem. In Spain, diseases of the circulatory system caused approximately one in four deaths (26.1%) in 2024, while ischemic heart disease alone caused 26,851 deaths.

In the Valencian Community, official data for 2024 indicate that cardiovascular diseases were linked to approximately 27% of deaths. Furthermore, the latest cardiovascular surveillance report from the Valencian Government records that over 42,000 new cases of cardiovascular disease and 13,140 deaths associated with these conditions were registered during 2023.

These data highlight the importance of ensuring that care after a heart attack, coronary intervention, or other cardiovascular event does not end with the recovery from the acute phase, but continues with measures aimed at reducing risk factors and preventing new events.