Heart Works

Men's Health Week often focuses on prevention, screening, and lifestyle advice. While these conversations are important, it's also worth reflecting on what happens after a cardiac event.

Many of the men who come through our doors have already experienced a significant cardiac diagnosis, procedure, or event. By the time they arrive at cardiac rehabilitation, the question is not just simply how to reduce risk. It becomes:

How do I regain confidence?
Confidence to exercise.
Confidence to return to work.
Confidence to travel.
Confidence to spend time with family without fear that every symptom means something is wrong.

The physiological benefits of cardiac rehabilitation are well established. Improvements in exercise capacity, cardiovascular risk factor management, and quality of life are consistently demonstrated across the literature.

Yet one of the most meaningful outcomes we observe is often less measurable.

Many men enter rehabilitation focused on what they can no longer do. Over time, through education, clinically supervised exercise, objective monitoring, and support from both clinicians and peers, that focus begins to shift toward what they can do.

Men's Health Week is a reminder that successful recovery extends beyond medical management alone. Helping people rebuild trust in their bodies after a cardiac event may be one of the most important aspects of long-term recovery.

At Heartworks, we're privileged to work alongside cardiologists, GPs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to support that journey.

Technique before load 💪

When it comes to exercise, more weight isn't always better.

Good technique should always come before increasing load. Proper movement patterns help ensure the right muscles are doing the work, reduce unnecessary strain on joints and tissues, and allow you to get the most benefit from each exercise.

In many cases, improving technique can be more valuable than adding extra weight. A well-executed squat, deadlift, or row performed with control and good form is often more effective than a heavier lift performed poorly.

Remember, exercise is a skill. Like any skill, it takes practice, feedback, and refinement over time.

If you're ever unsure about an exercise, confused about the technique, or simply want your form checked, please ask one of the HeartWorks Exercise Physiologists. We're always happy to help and can make adjustments between intervals to ensure you're exercising safely and effectively.

The goal isn't just to lift more weight — it's to move well, build confidence, and continue progressing safely.

Beta Blockers and Exercise Response ❤️

Beta blockers are among the most commonly prescribed cardiovascular medications, used in the management of coronary artery disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, and hypertension. Their therapeutic effects are well established, but they also influence how the body responds to exercise.

By attenuating the effects of sympathetic stimulation, beta blockers reduce heart rate and myocardial contractility, lowering cardiac workload and myocardial oxygen demand. While clinically beneficial, this also blunts the normal heart rate response to exercise.

As a result, heart rate alone may not accurately reflect exercise intensity in individuals taking these medications. Interpreting exercise response requires consideration of additional factors, including perceived exertion, symptom response, exercise tolerance, and recovery.

Importantly, a reduced heart rate response does not diminish the physiological benefits of exercise training. Improvements in stroke volume, peripheral oxygen utilisation, functional capacity, and overall cardiovascular efficiency can still occur despite a lower peak exercise heart rate.

Understanding the interaction between medication and exercise physiology is essential for appropriate exercise prescription and interpretation of training response. In cardiac rehabilitation, this allows exercise to be prescribed safely, effectively, and with greater confidence.

A lower exercise heart rate does not necessarily indicate a lower training effect.

A cardiac event doesn't just affect the heart. It can also affect confidence, independence, identity, and peace of mind.

Many people expect recovery to be primarily physical, focusing on medications, procedures, test results, and exercise. What often comes as a surprise is the emotional side of recovery. Fear of exercising, anxiety when the heart rate increases, worry about symptoms, and a loss of trust in their own body are all incredibly common experiences, yet they are not always openly discussed.

At HeartWorks, we regularly see people who are physically capable of doing more than they believe they can. The challenge isn't always strength or fitness—it's confidence.

One of the most rewarding parts of cardiac rehabilitation is watching that confidence return. A person who was once nervous about walking around the block is now completing an exercise session. Someone who feared increasing their heart rate learns that their body can respond safely to exercise. Someone who felt isolated discovers they are not alone in their experience.

Recovery is rarely just about the heart. It's about helping people feel safe, capable, and confident again, because recovering with confidence is just as important as recovering physically.

Heart Health: More Than One Piece of the Puzzle

When we think about improving heart health, it's easy to focus on a single area—exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress management, medication, or social connection. But the reality is that these factors don't work in isolation. Each influences the others.

Good nutrition can support energy levels and recovery from exercise. Regular physical activity can improve sleep quality. Better sleep can help regulate stress, mood, and appetite. Managing stress may support blood pressure and overall wellbeing. Taking medications as prescribed can help create a safer foundation for exercise and recovery. Strong social connections can improve motivation, confidence, and long-term adherence to healthy habits.

Rather than one pillar being more important than another, it's often the combination of these interconnected areas that creates meaningful, lasting change.

At HeartWorks, we believe recovery is about more than just exercise sessions or individual lifestyle changes. It's about building a strong foundation across multiple areas of health that work together to support confidence, wellbeing, and long-term heart health.

Heart health is rarely determined by one choice. It's shaped by many small actions, repeated consistently, that collectively move you forward.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our second HeartWorks Education Evening of 2026. Last week’s session focused on Living with Your Diagnosis (Beyond the First Year) — exploring some of the ongoing challenges, adjustments, and uncertainties that can continue well beyond the initial recovery period.

A key theme throughout the evening was the importance of understanding your own health, recognising changes early, and remaining actively engaged in your long-term wellbeing. Often, simply understanding why symptoms may be occurring can help reduce fear and build confidence.

Another important discussion centred around advocating for yourself, your partner, or your family when navigating healthcare and ongoing treatment. Having the confidence to ask questions and seek clarity is an important part of long-term care.

At Heartworks, we aim to support this process by providing objective data, exercise information, and clinically guided reporting to help support conversations around ongoing care and recovery.

If you were unable to attend the evening, or would like a recap, the recordings from the Education Evening are now available on HeartWorks Live.
Members: Log in to HeartWorks Live to watch.
Not a member? Join here: heartworks.nz/member-site-homepage-1

If you have any questions or need help accessing HeartWorks Live, please feel free to reach out to the team — we’re always happy to help ❤️

A thoughtful reflection from one of our clients — highlighting the importance of support, clinical oversight, and individualised care throughout the rehabilitation journey.

Recovery after a cardiac event is rarely straightforward. There are often uncertainties, setbacks, and “hiccups” along the way, which is why ongoing monitoring, guidance, and reassurance can make such a meaningful difference.

This client reflected on the value of having a team who not only followed their progress closely, but also recognised important changes. But beyond the clinical side, this feedback also speaks to the environment created through cardiac rehabilitation: one built on encouragement, consistency, and helping people feel supported as they rebuild confidence in themselves and their health.

We’re incredibly grateful for reflections like these and proud to support people through every stage of their recovery journey.

Loneliness and social isolation are not just emotional experiences — they are recognised health risk factors.

A 2025 npj Cardiovascular Health review of over 529,000 people with heart failure found that loneliness and social isolation are strongly associated with poorer health outcomes. These effects extend beyond heart failure and are also seen in conditions such as diabetes and cancer.

Why does this matter? Because recovery is not driven by physical health alone — social connection is a key part of overall wellbeing and long-term outcomes. Engaging in group rehabilitation and supportive community environments can improve consistency, confidence, and engagement in recovery. It helps people stay connected, feel supported, and continue building progress over time.

This is what we see every day at Heartworks — rehabilitation is not just exercise, it’s connection. Moving alongside others, sharing experiences, and rebuilding confidence as a community. When people feel supported and connected, recovery is stronger and more sustainable.