Memorial Regional Hospital Fitness Center

Lifestyles: A Behavior Modification Program for Cardiac Patients

Welcome to Lifestyles. This mindfulness-based path to healthier living is designed for cardiac patients and uses fundamentals of the well-known Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease.

If you’ve had a heart attack, bypass, stents or angioplasty, Lifestyles provides a unique opportunity to meet and exchange information with other people who share that experience and understand what you are going through.

Lifestyles offers weekly exercise, stress management and group support sessions, plus a consultation with a registered dietician who will give you guidelines for heart-healthy nutrition.

Thursday Lifestyles Sessions:

• 4 – 5:15pm – Group Support
  Enjoy the company of other cardiac patients in an atmosphere of support and camaraderie. Share your experiences and find out how others cope with the ongoing challenge of heart disease. Optimism, compassion and a sense of belonging all contribute to a strong heart.


• 5:30 – 6:30pm – Exercise
  Exercise strengthens your heart muscle and helps collateral arteries grow. Collateral arteries increase blood flow to your heart. Exercise allows a more efficient delivery of oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body. At our leading-edge facility, you’ll increase your strength and stamina under the supervision of our specially trained staff.


• 6:30 – 7:30pm – Stress Management
  Stress can damage your heart. Stress tightens your muscles, constricts arteries, thickens blood and affects cholesterol levels. Stress management techniques include deep breathing and gentle yoga to help your body calm down, your muscles relax and your blood flow freely.

Heartfelt Words from Lifestyles Members

“I bypassed bypass with this program and it works.” – L. C.

“The results speak for themselves. I have maintained a heart-healthy life ever since I joined and I feel great.” – R. A.

“After three angioplasty procedures in less than two years, I have been in the program for the past two years with no new incidents.” – B. W.

“In addition to the support and heart-healthy tips that we share each session, I have made friends who truly care about the welfare of my heart. It’s been my lifesaver.” – M. S., MD

Lifestyles is led by Peg Evans, MS, RYT. She holds a master’s degree in counseling from Florida State University and has had extensive training in stress management, yoga, dance and alternative healing. In addition to training in New York with the Exceptional Cancer Patients (ECaP) group founded by Bernie Siegel, MD, she studied mindfulness and stress management with Jon Kabat-Zinn. Evans led the Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease at Broward General Medical Center for seven years.

For more information about Lifestyles, please call Evans at (305) 899-9943.