EPA Health: Exercise Physiologists

Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are university-trained health professionals that have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to develop, deliver, and evaluate safe and effective exercise interventions and training programs for people with acute, subacute, or chronic health conditions, injuries, or disabilities.

Professional exercise therapists are tertiary-qualified exercise specialists who provide:

• Exercise rehabilitation.

• Medical conditions that can be treated with exercise.

• Health management for individuals seeking expert advice and support about their fitness. 

AEPs have studied muscle injuries, biomechanics of rehabilitation, chronic disease mechanisms, and the interactions between medications and their impact on exercise. They’re qualified with a minimum of 4 years of university training along with accreditation with Exercise Sports Science Australia (ESSA). With this knowledge, exercise programs can be developed to address medical conditions and injuries to get you back to optimal health and function.

There is a lot of overlap between physiotherapists and exercise physiologists, which is one of the reasons this question can be so confusing.

An exercise physiologist measures your condition and manages it using exercise; a physiotherapist diagnoses and treats your condition with various hands-on skills and education. Physiotherapists treat patients indirectly with a hands-on activity and passively using massage, acupuncture, and joint manipulation. An exercise physiologist offers hands-off treatment by implementing specific clinical exercise programs. 

This means that there might be cases where you will only need one of these services, whereas there may be cases where you will need both.

The rehabilitation programs offered by EPA Health are structured and tailored to meet each client's specific needs. In addition to behavioural modifications and dietary advice, exercise regimens are carefully curated. We utilise a range of training methods in our curated regimens such as weight training, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), gymnastics, Pilates, metabolic circuits, and more.

We offer tailor-made programs for managing chronic diseases, rehabilitation following trauma, mental health conditions, weight loss, controlling weight, and general wellness.

AEPs are qualified to prescribe safe exercise interventions tailored to your needs if you have a chronic condition or pain. Those with chronic diseases should consult their doctors before exercising. To help you get active safely, they may refer you directly to an exercise physiologist.

You may also be referred to an AEP if you have been injured. For example, if your physiotherapist feels that you would benefit from exercise therapy, they may refer you to an AEP. In addition to assisting your recovery, they will reduce the risk of recurrence of injury.

Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety can also be treated and prevented with exercise. However, psychologists have a unique skill set for prescribing exercise to people with mental illness.

Pregnant women and those who just gave birth can also benefit from safe exercise programs designed by AEPs. Exercising during and after pregnancy is safe and healthy, but the wrong kind of exercise can damage the body. You can get advice from an AEP on which activities are appropriate for your stage of pregnancy/post-natal care.

After attending an initial consultation, patients under Medicare, the NDIS, Veterans Affairs or WorkCover will need a referral. For private clients, referrals are not required.