How to Begin your Fitness Program

Blending the best in cardiac medicine with the latest fitness practices and promoting the American Heart Association (AHA) “Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults”, and for those with HCM, the 2020 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, this website is designed to optimize your heart health through step-by-step videos, key medical information and a proven exercise program.

Created for specially for Stable Cardiac patients and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients, our Heart Health by Design Fitness programs can also be followed by anyone seeking to improve their overall fitness and heart health.

Dr. Harry Rakowski, Director of the HCM Clinic at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Sarah Harris, Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Coach have designed this 3-part program –
Move Well, Eat Well, Be Well.

You can start with any program you like however it’s advised to begin with the Move Well Program. It’s easy and gets you moving and feeling great now.

Ensure you read the Heart Health by Design Exercise Guidelines to Begin Your Move Well Program first. This will ensure you understand how to navigate your level of exercise intensity and other important safety considerations.

Then be sure to check out and the Eat Well and Be Well programs to enhance your health and fitness practice.

Start your fitness journey today!

Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced HCM exercise programs that are low risk and effective series of exercises that can be done individually or as part of a program.

This program includes exercises that promote:

Postural Correction
Sitting for long periods and/or have daily stressors’ can lead to postural imbalances. These imbalances can decrease well-being and lead to many common musculoskeletal challenges. The exercises in this program are designed to promote good postural alignment.

Flexibility
Optimal flexibility allows for ease of movement, promotes proper posture and avoids or eliminates the potential for injury.

Stability
Core Stability creates a solid foundation for each movement. Without it bodies are unable to stabilize, making exercise challenging and inviting injury and dysfunction.

Muscular Endurance and Strength
Resistance training is required to improve metabolism for optimal weight management, enhance the ability to complete activities of daily living with strength and endurance, while improving energy and well-being.

Cardiovascular Exercise
Helps improve cardiovascular health and increases powerful well-being dependent, endorphin levels.

Our food choices are essential to how well our bodies and minds function. Our nutrition protocols are not based on fad diets or deprivation. You can eat well and enjoy your food at the same time.

Rest and relaxation are necessary to renew and restore muscle function, enhance the ability to cope with stress while promoting well-being in mind, body and spirit.

For a more information on ways to improve your health and wellbeing, subscribe to Sarah’s Monthly Vlog.