PORTLAND, Ore. — The saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. After his first stroke in 2002, Karl Armstrong needed more than a chuckle. But he managed to find wellness and a huge helping of humor at Adventist Health Portland.
“Cardiac rehab is the best place for me,” Armstrong said. “We’re like a family and so, I just keep coming back.”
The cardiac rehab program incorporates heart health activity, medical supervision, and support from other patients.
It goes beyond traditional workouts on treadmills and exercise bikes. This program has patients playing a game of chair volleyball. They may be seated, but these participants are getting a workout.
The group of 20 gets together once a week to play and connect.
“It's two hours of solid fun,” participant Cynthia Bradley said.
Patients, or should we say players, range in age from 50 to 98 years young. Some have heart conditions while others live with pulmonary diseases. They all benefit from the program.
“Think about, when you laugh, you're drawing breath in to laugh out. So, that's pulmonary. You're exercising. So, that's making your heart work,” Bradley said. “So, I mean, you're getting the best of both worlds.”
Each player has a nickname. There’s Special K, Slick, Iron Fist, and the Octopus, better known as Angela Mathis.
“Like I have eight arms instead of two,” Mathis said.
Mathis lives with severe asthma and has been part of the cardiac rehab program for 25 years.
“It's probably one of the best decisions of my life, to come here. It's kept me alive,” she said. “[It’s] been a great program. I can't say enough good things about it.”
Janice Ruf, also known as Ruf Ruf around the volleyball court, moved to Portland from Montana four years ago. She found here community at Adventist.
“I was really hesitant to join because I didn't want to get in there and make a fool of myself,” Ruf said. “But you know what, nobody makes a fool of themselves. Whatever you do, it's fine.”
The game isn’t about winning or losing. It is about health, both physical and mental.
“Cardiac rehab will really, as you can see, has a great sense of community and has been really demonstrated to show improved rates of depression, improved anxiety, improved social isolation after this program,” Cardiac Electrophysiologist Dr. Brain Moyers said.
In Oregon, about 230,000 people have coronary artery disease. Cardiac rehab can reduce the risk of cardiac-related death by 25 percent, according to Dr. Moyers. However, he says about one in five people who are eligible for these types of programs don't get referred.
“So, it's one of the really rare interventions in medicine where it's non-medical, it doesn't cost a lot of money, there's not a surgery and it gives people a lot of agency in their own treatments with really amazing results. Almost like nothing else,” Dr. Moyers said.
Whether it's the exercise or the camaraderie, in this group it seems like laughter truly is the best medicine.
“And if we can't make you laugh, you're unlaughable,” Armstrong said.
Physicians can refer you to Cardiac Rehab if you have had any of the following:
- Recent heart surgery or heart attack
- Recent angioplasty or stent placement
- Heart valve disease
- Coronary Artery Disease or Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Stable angina
There are three phases to the cardiac rehab program. Volleyball is phase three. If you’re interested in learning more visit https://www.adventisthealth.org/portland/ or call 503-251-6260.