5 things you don’t know about Exercise Physiology
5 things you don’t know about Exercise Physiology
As an exercise physiologist I often find myself educating clients and prospective clients around what exercise physiologists do.
In this post I share five insights about exercise physiology and why I believe Exercise Physiologists play such an integral part in the health and well-being of people who are seeking to perform at their physical best.
1. Overcoming barriers with you health
Have you ever felt like all your injuries and heath problem where stopping you from achieving your health goals? Exercise physiologists are qualified health practitioners that specialise in exercise prescription. We know everything there is to know about what exercise would be good for you and what exercise to avoid. Understanding each individual that comes into the practice is very important because exercise isn’t a one size fits all.
By taking into consideration your goals, current health, chronic disease (diabetes, heart disease and many more), and your lifestyle we set out an achievable and tailored program that will address all areas of your health. Sometimes you feel like your body is telling you that it doesn’t want to exercise when in fact, usually exercise is the solution.
2. Exercise physiologists don’t just work in one area
Exercise physiologists don’t just work in one area. They are qualified and experience in a number of different areas. I have listed the domains of medicine and healthcare in which we work below:
- Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (eg strengthening after acute sports injuries, or for injury prevention)
- Cardiac Rehabilitation (in-hospital or outpatient following a heart attack)
- Coaching (kids through to elite level)
- Mental Health
- Chronic Pain Management (Low Back Pain)
- Public Health (weight management and disease prevention, education)
- Neurological Rehabilitation (E.g. Parkinson’s disease)
Clients are fortunate if they just have one of the above areas to work on. The benefits of seeing an exercise physiologist is that they clients can take into account all of their co-existing health concerns and have an all encompassing exercise plan and program developed that will target all health concerns both concurrently and comprehensively.
3. We are the Future
Exercise has been acknowledged as the future of the Australian health system. More and more research articles are showing the massive benefits that both cardiovascular and resistance based exercise can have on your health. Something as simple as walking has been proven to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. All three of these are risk factors of heart disease and stroke and guess what? You can prevent them. Many medical doctors and GP’s are realising the benefits that exercise can have in reducing risks of disease. This means that an Exercise physiologist could be the best person to see if you want to reduce that never-ending list of prescriptions. Don’t be surprised if the next time you visit your GP he prescribes you exercise physiology as your medicine.
For an up to date look at the current recommended Australian Exercise Guidelines click HERE.
4. We help you ‘find a way around it’
Exercise Physiology isn’t all about your injuries. Finding exercise that doesn’t exacerbate any of your current injuries while treating a more important or more influential condition is a huge part of exercise physiology services. Having a vast knowledge of the musculo-skeletal system allows exercise physiologists to work with injury while focusing on the larger matter.
In 2011-12 62.8% of Australians 18 years and over were overweight or obese. As we all know exercise along with dietary changes is the best way of getting a hold on this epidemic. Sometimes injury and pain can be a huge reason why exercise isn’t an option. As exercise physiologists we have a large array of exercise knowledge that can help you exercise without causing you pain.
5. Perform at your Peak
Performing at your best is one of POGO’s core values. Exercise physiology is the last step in your rehabilitation staircase. Being experts in functional exercise allows us to progress your treatment to the next level. No one wants to be constantly in and out of pain because of niggles and flare-ups after training. Seeing a physiotherapist is the ideal first step but if you want to stay out of pain, maintenance is key. Having a detailed exercise program that is designed around your strengths and weaknesses could be the added extra that helps you stay pain free and enjoy pushing yourself to a new level.
If you have any questions relating to how exercise physiology can possibly assist you in your quest to perform at your physical best please either leave them in the comments below, or contact me HERE.
PAIN-FREE. PERFORM. PROLONG
Cody Waldon
Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP)
References
- American College of Sports Medicine. (2013). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
- Yazdani, B., Fathi, M., Doosti, E., Shakib, R. A., & Khajuee, R. N. Z. (2013). Effects of 8-week endurance exercise on cholesterol & triglycerides in male rates. Advances in Environmental Biology, 7(4), 556-561.
- Zisser, H., Gong, P., Kelley, C. M., Seidman, J. S., & Riddell, M. C. (2011). Exercise and diabetes. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 65(s170), 71-75.
- Australian Health Survey: Updated Results, 2011-12
