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A typical day

In a cardiac rehab unit you start early. Patients arrive in groups, you check blood pressure and heart rhythm, get them on treadmills and bikes, and watch the monitors while they work. Between groups you write progress notes, call the doctor about someone whose numbers looked wrong, and teach a class on food or stress. In a lab or sports setting the rhythm changes: you run fitness tests, measure oxygen use and strength, and turn the results into a training plan.