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MARQUETTE -- It's one of the worst things you can hear. You have a heart condition, and you could have prevented it with proper exercise and diet.

Active Physical Therapy is trying to change that.

"We're trying to catch those people prior to having a cardiac event and reduce those risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease...to reduce the necessity for medications and reduce the necessity for living life every day worried about having a cardiac event," said Active Physical Therapy owner Kip Hartman.

They've created a new program. It's a cardiac "prehab" service that wants to help people who fall into risk categories, such as those who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or are overweight.

Active therapists say 33 percent of deaths are because of a cardiac incident, but there's good news. They say that with the proper diet and exercise, risk factors are reversible, which is exactly what the prehab aims to do.

But what about the average person? Is cardiac prehab something they should look into? Therapists at Active say that the average person may be at risk.

"At some point in the average person's life, they can expect to have a cardiac event. But the beauty of this program is that it's capable of reducing most, if not all, risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease," Hartman added.

In addition to the prehab, the center also offers aqua therapy, physical therapy, and a CrossFit training program.

"It took me at my fitness level, and over the last six months, it lifted the bar. All around fitness and capability has changed over time, so it's self-reinforcing over time, and it feels good," said CrossFit member Richard Anderson.

To find out how to get involved in the prehab program, click here.