Pediatric Cardiovascular Fitness Program

Physical Fitness at Golisano Children's Hospital

We know you want your child to thrive not just physically, but socially, emotionally and mentally. Building a child’s physical fitness can have profound effects on their self-confidence, motivation and emotional well-being.

The Pediatric Cardiovascular Fitness Program at Golisano Children’s Hospital at University of Vermont Health is the first of its kind in the region. Our team works to empower children with chronic conditions to build their physical fitness and participate in activities they love.

A young child looks on at a medical provider.

Why Choose Golisano Children's Hospital?

We have the expertise to treat children as young as five and care for those with complex conditions. Our holistic approach aims to help your child increase confidence, improving both their physical and emotional health.

We offer:

Advanced training: Our experienced team includes an exercise physiologist and one of the nation’s only fellowship-trained pediatric exercise cardiologists.
Family-centered care: We believe incorporating your entire family into your child’s care plan leads to the most effective, sustainable results. We identify what factors may affect your ability to participate in the care plan so we can best support your family.
Academic expertise: As part of a health system anchored by an academic medical center, our physicians are active researchers, many of whom are training the next generation of experts. Our physicians exchange data with cardiologists nationwide to better understand effective treatments.

Conditions We Treat

The Pediatric Cardiovascular Fitness Program is for children ages five through young adulthood. We provide comprehensive assessments of exercise-related symptoms such as:

Heart palpitations
Inability to tolerate physical activity
Lightheadedness
Shortness of breath

Our services may be appropriate for children with any chronic medical condition and special health care needs that restricts their exercise abilities, such as:

Arrythmias
Cardiomyopathy or heart transplant
Congenital heart disease or acquired heart disease
Exercise-induced cardiac symptoms
Gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Pulmonary diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or restrictive lung disease

Children who could benefit from our services also include those who:

Are awaiting or recovering from a heart transplant
Are waiting or recovering from congenital heart surgery
Are recovering from cancer therapy
Have previously been cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
Want to understand their exercise capacity as an athlete

What to Expect

Your child’s visit starts with a detailed assessment of their symptoms. We use comprehensive, advanced testing, including:

Cardiopulmonary exercise stress test (CPET): A pediatric cardiologist or exercise physiologist supervises your child while they wear a special mask and exercise for 15 to 20 minutes on a treadmill or stationary bike. This test gives us a clear understanding of your child’s oxygen consumption, lung function, exercise capacity, heart rate, blood pressure and heart function.
Musculoskeletal strength and flexibility assessment: A provider guides your child through specific movements that measure their strength and overall flexibility. This test helps us evaluate your child’s current fitness so we can set goals for their treatment.

Your child may come to our program for a one-time assessment of their cardiovascular fitness or they may work with us to gradually build strength and aerobic fitness. Your child may receive an individualized exercise prescription with recommendations for appropriate exercise. They may also participate in an exercise training program lasting up to 16 weeks.

We personalize each exercise program to age and development. Depending on your child’s needs, we may focus on specific fitness-related goals, such as helping your child:

Join a sports team
Keep up with peers at recess
Walk up stairs without losing breath
Withstand a long bike ride

Your child’s initial exercise sessions are held in person to ensure safety and correct form. After the first few sessions, your child may switch to remote sessions, if desired, for ongoing training.