Exercise physiologists undertake a three to four year university degree to become qualified, as well as undertaking ongoing and specialist training in chronic disease management and behaviour change. In contrast, personal trainers may only train for six weeks to six months to obtain their qualifications.

Exercise physiologists tend to work in public and private hospitals, within multidisciplinary clinics, population health, workplace health, workplace rehabilitation and aged care.

Their areas of study may include biochemistry, bioenergetics, cardiopulmonary function, haematology, biomechanics, skeletal muscle physiology, neuroendocrine function, and central and peripheral nervous system function. 

Exercise physiologists offer both exercise and lifestyle support to encourage sustainable change in people with chronic diseases and injuries, or those at high risk. 

When developing an exercise plan, they will take into account the patient’s lifestyle demands, commitments, likes, dislikes, needs and preferences. This gives the plan the best chance of achieving long term success. They also teach people the skills of maintaining exercise regularly.. How many times have you heard of people getting a six month gym membership and never attending again after the first week? Exercise physiologists aim to make exercise sustainable.

Treatment via an accredited Exercise Physiologist is likely to include:

• Initial assessment of health status and history
• Explanations about how exercise therapy can improve health
• Goals and strategies
• Physical assessment to determine abilities
• Development of comprehensive exercise program
• Writer reports to other medical specialists
• Tracking assessment and identification of modifications

They work with people suffering from a range of conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.  

Exercise physiologists can be helpful in work injury management. 

Many musculoskeletal problems can improve with exercise.  Back pain is a good example.  We have few effective treatments for people with long term back pain, but solid evidence exercise can assist to improve back soreness and improve functional abilities. 

Yet telling someone to exercise is insufficient to create change for many people.  A more sustained approach can be to use an exercise physiologist.  To advise on exercise, to foster the development of a routine, to encourage, educate, and assist the worker to develop long term self-management strategies.  

Like all professions, you’ll find a range of approaches and abilities.  Influencing workers who have become demotivated with time and despondent about their condition can be difficult, but a good exercise physiologist will be able to explain the need for worker input and activity, and help create change.