What Is Exercise
Physiology?
What is Exercise Physiology?
Exercise physiology is the scientific study of the body and how it works. In Australia exercise physiology is overseen by a professional organisation called the Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA).
According to ESSA, Accredited Exercise Physiologists are university qualified health professionals with specialist skills, knowledge and proficiency to create, deliver and assess a safe and effective exercise plan for people with chronic health conditions, disabilities, injuries or general healthy population.
Exercise physiologists utilise their knowledge to prescribe personalised exercise programs for:
- Rehabilitation after an injury or surgery
- Relief from pain and discomfort
- Management and prevention of chronic health conditions
(High blood pressure and cholesterol levels, osteopenia/osteoporosis, osteoarthritis/rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression etc). - Increased independence for seniors and people with disabilities
- People just looking to move better and perform better
Exercise Physiology vs Personal Training
Many people ask what is the difference between an exercise physiologist and a personal trainer in the gym.
It’s a great question and there are some very significant differences between the two, including:
- An exercise physiologist has undertaken at least 4 years of university education and a minimum 500 hours clinical experience compared to a personal trainer, who has usually done no more than a 6 month Certificate 4 course.
- An exercise physiologist can design a program for both healthy individuals and people with complex or chronic health issues. A personal trainer is best suited to design an exercise program for someone who is generally healthy and low risk.
- Exercise physiology is recognised by Health Funds, Medicare and other government agencies, whereas personal training is not recognised.
- Exercise physiology is a recognised allied health profession and each practitioner required accreditation with Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA), the governing body. Personal trainers are not governed.
- An exercise physiologist has an in depth knowledge and understanding of anatomy, human physiology, biomechanics and disease processes. A personal trainer course provides a limited understanding.
- An exercise physiologist provides an evidenced based approach that is customised to your specific circumstances, whereas a personal trainer will generally provide assessments and instruction based on a standard format.
The Process and What to Expect
Once you enquire, we will book you in for an initial consultation at a time and day that best suits you.
The initial consultation will primarily a sit-down session, to further discuss your needs, goals, and history. We may perform some assessments together to understand your functional ability. These assessments often involve strength, cardiovascular fitness and balance; they are simple and manageable. Sometimes we will also use questionnaires in this time.
The combination of these assessments form ‘outcome measures’, which can be used to measure improvement.
If you come with a referral from a GP then we will write reports to communicate with your health care team. These are needed to ensure you receive the best care on all levels, and reports also aid in claiming rebates for your sessions.
The data collected will assist in providing you with an individualised exercise program designed and delivered based on your needs. We will alter this depending on how you feel and what you like/dislike.
Over a period, we will re-assess the exercise program to reconstruct and realign it to meet your ability for further improvement.
This service will allow you to:
Manage your condition or pain better.
Form a healthy and productive relationship with exercise.
Work towards being your best self.
Understand what your body needs and how you can use exercise for this.
Harrison Nowoczynski – Exercise Physiologist
Email: harrison.nowoczynski@gmail.com
Ph: 0434 069 962
Fax: 61261693076
