**Preface**

With this book, the author's intention is to offer readers a practical guide to implementing exercise prescription for patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. The latest American and European guidelines have been incorporated into the text to provide an up-to-date resource for cardiac practitioners and students with reference to research developed by the Polish School of Cardiac Rehabilitation, noted for its innovative studies in the field of cardiac rehabilitation and the development of safe and effective protocols which have been universally adopted in cardiac practice for decades. This book gives an overview of the current guidelines for cardiac rehabilitation; we hope that it will serve as an enduring resource for this area of medicine. Novel strategies and trends in exercise training, such as high-intensity interval training and telerehabilitation are discussed, with practical guidance given on how to implement them in practice. Moreover, the authors introduce and discuss several emerging topics, such as exercise prescription for COVID-19 patients and the concept of training based on exercise preconditioning.

A quick look-up format is frequently employed throughout this text, allowing readers to quickly find advice on technical aspects of exercise prescription written in a short summary format without extraneous information. This book represents a collective endeavor from medical staff at the Saudi Arabian Cardiac Center from inter-disciplinary fields, working together to provide a holistic approach to patient aftercare. Therefore, a dedicated chapter focusing on the Middle East has been included, wherein the authors have created a unique resource covering appropriate strategies for overcoming barriers to physical activity in this region, considering local conditions and the particular needs of its patients. We dedicate this book to our families.

> **Adam Staron, Jadwiga Wolszakiewicz, and Meteb AlSulaimi** *Editors*
