Cardiopulmonary
Rehabilitation
Specialist physiotherapy for cardiac and respiratory conditions — supervised exercise rehabilitation, breathing retraining and airway management for post-cardiac surgery, COPD, heart failure and long COVID patients.
Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation at APARC
Post-Cardiac Surgery
Rehabilitation following CABG, valve replacement, heart transplant and other cardiac surgical procedures — improving exercise capacity and cardiac function.
Heart Failure
Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation for stable heart failure — improving exercise tolerance, quality of life and functional capacity under medical supervision.
COPD & Respiratory Disease
Pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD, bronchiectasis and other chronic respiratory conditions — improving breathlessness, exercise capacity and quality of life.
Post-ICU / Critical Illness
Rehabilitation for patients recovering from prolonged ICU admission, mechanical ventilation or critical illness — addressing weakness, deconditioning and breathlessness.
Breathing Pattern Disorders
Dysfunctional breathing, hyperventilation syndrome and breathing pattern disorders causing breathlessness, chest tightness and anxiety.
Post-COVID Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation for long COVID — addressing breathlessness, fatigue, deconditioning and post-viral exercise intolerance with paced, evidence-based programmes.
Treatment Approaches
What to Expect
Book
Call, WhatsApp or book online. No referral needed.
Assessment
Full specialist assessment with your APARC physiotherapist.
Treatment Plan
Personalised plan with clear goals and session frequency.
Treatment
Evidence-based techniques combined for your condition.
Progress
Regular reassessment against measurable goals.
Discharge
Home programme and guidance to maintain your recovery.
Common Questions
Who cardiopulmonary physiotherapy is for
- People recovering after cardiac surgery, including bypass and valve surgery
- People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other long-term lung conditions
- People with asthma who become breathless with activity or have difficulty clearing secretions
- People recovering from pneumonia or a prolonged chest infection
- People who have been in intensive care or immobile for a long period, who lose respiratory and general conditioning quickly
- People being prepared for surgery, where improving fitness beforehand can help recovery afterwards
What assessment involves
- Your history — breathlessness, cough, sputum, exercise tolerance and what you have stopped doing because of it
- Observation of your breathing pattern at rest and on exertion
- Chest examination, and measurement of oxygen saturation and heart rate response to activity
- A functional exercise test where appropriate, to establish a safe starting point
- Agreement on goals expressed in things you want to do — climbing your stairs, walking to the shop
What treatment involves
- Breathing retraining — pacing, controlled breathing, and positions that reduce the work of breathing
- Airway clearance — techniques to move and clear secretions where these are a problem
- Graded exercise training — the core of pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation, and the component with the strongest evidence behind it
- Strength work, since limb weakness often limits activity as much as the lungs do
- Energy conservation and pacing for daily activities
- Education — recognising a flare-up early, inhaler technique review with your medical team, and what to do on bad days
Breathlessness is not a reason to avoid exercise
One of the most common and understandable patterns is avoiding activity because it causes breathlessness. Doing less leads to deconditioning, which causes more breathlessness at lower workloads — a cycle that tightens over months. Supervised, graded exercise is how that cycle is broken. It is uncomfortable at first; it is not dangerous when prescribed appropriately.
When to seek medical advice rather than physiotherapy
Contact your doctor promptly if you have new or rapidly worsening breathlessness, chest pain, coughing up blood, fever with a productive cough, or a marked drop in your usual exercise tolerance. Physiotherapy is for stable conditions and for rehabilitation — not for an acute deterioration.
Frequently asked questions
Will this cure my lung condition?
No. In long-term conditions such as COPD the aim is to improve what you can do, reduce breathlessness for a given activity, and reduce avoidable decline. That is a meaningful difference, not a cure.
Is exercise safe after cardiac surgery?
Graded exercise is a standard and important part of recovery, but it should be prescribed following assessment and in line with your cardiologist's advice.
How long before I notice a difference?
Many people notice change within several weeks of consistent training. Gains are lost if training stops, so a maintenance plan matters.
References
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in over 16s: diagnosis and management (NG115).
Further reading
Medically reviewed by Dr Manoj Kumar Jaiswal, MPT · Last reviewed: 2 August 2026 · Our clinical team