Cardiac rehab is often recommended for those with a heart condition.

For a long time it was only for adults, but now there's now an option for babies born with heart problems.

To say, Ethan Delcid enjoys life is an understatement, but it's been a long journey for this little guy.

"It was hard to see him be born 'cause he was immediately taken away," Ethan's mom, Yannin Delcid said.

Blood was not flowing properly from his heart. Ethan had surgery at three days old, then again at three months.

At four, Ethan needed a heart transplant.

"I saw him very close to death, so it was hard to hold my faith up," Yannin said.

"He was getting physically weaker, and then there were some like mental health side effects of that," University of Utah and Primary Children's Hospital Pediatric Cardiologist Dan Ziebell said.

That's when a team at Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital turned to Pediatric Cardiac Rehab.

Just like the rehab for adults who have heart problems, only this cardiac fitness center turns grueling workouts into fun.

"We were trying to keep it fun and interactive, make it seem like it's play for him," Ziebell said.

While living in the hospital for more than a year, exercise physiologists helped get Ethan's heart pumping and stronger for surgery and after 14 months, Ethan was ready when the call came.

"You would never know that he has a heart transplant," Ziebell said.

Ethan is now ready to take on his next big challenge, kindergarten.

The Pediatric Cardiac Fitness Center at Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital is one of the first in the country, but they are beginning to pop up all over.

Every child who is hospitalized with heart failure gets enrolled into the program, from age three to 18 years old.