82-Year-Old Credits Cardiac Rehabilitation For His Recovery

If you’re driving on country roads near Whiteson, Amity, or Perrydale, you may spy 82-year-old Simon Steely pedaling his recumbent bike on a 20 mile ride. “(I love) riding in God’s creation!” he declares.

A retired electrical engineer from Albuquerque, N.M., Steely had heart bypass and valve replacement surgery in 2009. Today, he credits his recovery and fitness level to his workouts in our cardiac rehab program.

Today and for the last five years, Steely exercises for 90 minutes a session, three mornings a week. For aerobic exercise he hops on the elliptical machine, treadmill, stationary bike, NuStep and arm bike for the first hour. The final 30 minutes he concentrates on strength training.

We’re not young, we’re not dead, we’re somewhere in between
He noted that cardiac rehab is a great social outlet. The same class of 16 meets at the same time on the same day. Does the class have a name? “If I could give it a name, it’d be the Old Geezers Class! We’re not young, we’re not dead, we’re somewhere in between,” Steely says with a twinkle in his eye. “There’s always someone pickin’ on someone,” he chuckled.

Working out regularly at our cardiac rehab program has kept his heart healthy and his arthritis at bay. It’s also a release and gives him energy to care for his wife, who has Alzheimer’s. He says he feels much better thanks to his workouts and twice-a-week bike rides.

Steely says the cardiac rehab staff is helpful and attentive, and teaches all the patients how to use the equipment. “They’re like mother hens,” he smiled. “Oh, they’re really nice. They help you when you need it.”

Steely definitely recommends cardiac rehab to anyone who’s eligible. “It keeps me going!” he said.