In a brightly lit gym in eastern Austria, two nurses in white coats watched as five men slowly pedaled exercise bikes. One of the nurses checked the men’s blood pressures, while the other sat behind a number of screens, monitoring heart rates. “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode played softly from a speaker.

It was a typical scene at the Bad Tatzmannsdorf cardiovascular rehabilitation center, about an hour or two from Vienna, in Burgenland, a hilly province known for wine.

All of the patients were there because of heart problems of varying severity, from irregular heartbeats to heart attacks, and the purpose of their stays were to convalesce, form better habits and leave as healthier, more relaxed versions of themselves.

Visits last several weeks, and the average cost is around 5,000 euros, or about $6,000. But many of the patients pay only a small fraction of the cost.

Eight years ago, one of those patients was my father. After having a heart attack, he spent three weeks here on a doctor’s recommendation. His schedule was filled with afternoon Nordic-walking trips and sauna sessions. He even learned to make low-fat tiramisù.

The rehab is one of a number of such facilities across Austria, stays at which the government will largely cover through its social insurance program. In addition to centers for heart conditions, there are those dedicated to cancer, diabetes and obesity, as well as pulmonary health, neurological diseases and joint problems.