Exercise Physiology for Heart Health
Exercise physiology for heart health helps you stay active with confidence when you're living with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a heart condition. Our accredited exercise physiologists at MTP Health's St Leonards and Beacon Hill clinics provide supervised, carefully progressed exercise for adults across Sydney's North Shore and Northern Beaches.
We work within the guidance of your GP or cardiologist, monitor how your body responds and adjust as you go. Many people come to us after finishing hospital or community cardiac rehabilitation, wanting ongoing support to keep moving safely.
Who We Help
We see adults at different stages of their heart health, including people who:
- Have high blood pressure or high cholesterol and want to become more active
- Have completed cardiac rehabilitation after a heart attack, stent or bypass surgery
- Live with stable heart failure and have been cleared by their cardiologist to exercise
- Have peripheral arterial disease and get leg pain when walking
- Carry several risk factors, such as diabetes, inactivity or extra weight, and want practical steps
If blood glucose is your main focus, our Diabetes and Metabolic Health service may suit you better.
Medical Clearance Comes First
After a recent cardiac event, heart procedure or new diagnosis, hospital care and cardiac rehabilitation come first. These early programs are usually arranged by your hospital or treating team.
Once you've been cleared for ongoing exercise, we support the longer-term phase. Before your first session, we'll ask about your diagnosis, procedures, medicines and any exercise limits your cardiologist or GP has set. If we need more detail, we'll ask your permission to contact them.
We support the longer-term phase
Your Heart Health Assessment
Your 50-minute initial consultation gives us a clear and safe starting point. We typically look at:
- Your heart history, any test results you have and your current medicines
- Resting heart rate and blood pressure
- Symptoms such as breathlessness, chest discomfort, dizziness or leg pain, and what brings them on
- Strength, mobility, balance and functional fitness
- Your goals, such as walking the dog, getting back to golf or managing stairs with less effort
Comfortable training zones
We use what we learn to set comfortable training zones and explain them, so you can also exercise with confidence away from the clinic.
How We Keep Sessions Safe
Monitoring is part of every stage of exercise physiology for heart health. We check in on how you feel at the start of each session and watch how you respond as you train.
- Heart rate and blood pressure checks before, during and after exercise where appropriate
- Rating of perceived exertion, a simple scale for how hard exercise feels
- Talk test, so you can gauge intensity on your own
- Gradual warm-up and cool-down
Some heart medicines, such as beta blockers, can reduce how much your heart rate rises during exercise. That's why we often use how hard exercise feels, not heart rate alone, to guide intensity.
If you notice chest discomfort, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or an irregular heartbeat, stop and tell us straight away. If symptoms are severe, get worse or have not eased after 10 minutes, call Triple Zero (000).
What Exercise Physiology for Heart Health Involves
Your program is shaped by your heart health, fitness and goals, and usually combines the elements below.
Funding and Next Steps
You don't need a referral for exercise physiology. Sessions are available 1:1 or in small groups of up to four at St Leonards and Beacon Hill, and online sessions may suit some people once their program is established.
If you live with a chronic heart or blood vessel condition, your GP may be able to prepare a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, which replaced GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements from 1 July 2025. With a referral under that plan, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate on a limited number of individual allied health sessions each calendar year. Private health extras may also contribute, and our team can talk you through options.
When you're ready for long-term training, some people continue in the Freedom program, our small group strength and fitness sessions run by exercise physiologists.
Related Services
These related services sit alongside heart and cardiovascular health:
Active With a Heart Condition
If you'd like support to exercise safely with a heart condition or cardiovascular risk factors, our exercise physiologists can help you take the next step. Book an initial consultation at St Leonards on the North Shore or Beacon Hill on the Northern Beaches, with no referral needed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When can I start exercise physiology after a heart attack or stent?
Most people complete a hospital or community cardiac rehabilitation program first. Once your cardiologist or GP has cleared you for ongoing exercise, we can help you keep progressing safely.
Is it safe to lift weights with high blood pressure?
For many people, resistance training at suitable loads can be a helpful part of a program. We check your blood pressure, coach steady breathing and progress gradually. If your blood pressure is very high or not well controlled, we'll ask you to see your GP before starting.
Do I need clearance from my cardiologist?
You don't need a referral to book, but after a recent cardiac event, heart procedure or heart failure diagnosis, we'll ask for confirmation that you're cleared to exercise. This helps us plan sessions that match your medical team's advice.
Can exercise help lower cholesterol?
Regular exercise may help improve cholesterol levels, especially alongside healthy eating and any medicines your doctor prescribes. We focus on a routine you can maintain, since benefits tend to depend on staying active over time.
How is this different from hospital cardiac rehabilitation?
Hospital and community cardiac rehabilitation programs usually cover the early, structured phase after a cardiac event or procedure. We focus on what comes next, including building strength and fitness further and helping you stay active for the long term.