What to expect when you see an Exercise Physiologist?

Over the last few years, you may have started to hear about Exercise Physiology in Port Lincoln - your GP or a nurse at the clinic might have mentioned it, or you might have a friend or family member who goes to see one.

We are lucky enough to have two Exercise Physiologist’s here at EP Physio Plus and a common trend we find is that people don’t quite know what to expect when they first come to see us. 

We wouldn’t want this uncertainty about Exercise Physiology from stopping you coming in the first place so this blog is designed to put your worries, doubts and fears at ease.

If you’d like to know a bit more about Exercise Physiologists, keep reading below but be warned, this blog will get you super pumped and excited to start (or re-start) your exercise journey with us! 

Firstly, a quick history on Exercise Physiology - our governing body ESSA (Exercise and Sports Science Australia) was started 30 years ago in 1991 and we have been included under Medicare since 2006. Relatively, we are a young profession and have seen our biggest growth in the past 5 years with the introduction of many more Exercise Physiology University courses around the country. Exercise Physiologists first reached the Eyre Peninsula in 2018 and now there’s more than 5 of us around the place! 

Secondly, let’s break down exactly what “Exercise Physiology” really means. 

• Physiology is defined as the “functions and mechanisms of a living system”.
• Exercise is “any activity carried out specifically to help improve or sustain health or fitness”. 

So - if we put those both together and a little more simply:

• Exercise Physiology is the study of how specific activity can help to improve or sustain the functions of the human body. 

Now you might be thinking - which functions of the human body could activity help to improve? Here’s a few to get you started:

• The heart & lungs: exercise helps to improve the efficiency of our cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory systems and is important in the management of heart disease, high blood pressure, COPD and Asthma. 
• The muscles: exercise assists in both the prevention, and rehabilitation of muscular injuries and a healthy muscular system is vital for preventing and managing diabetes. 
• The brain: exercise helps people with neurological conditions such as Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia to manage their symptoms and improve quality of life. 
• The bones: exercise is vital for preventing osteoporosis (low bone density) and reducing falls risk in people of all ages. 

Last, but not least, it might be all well and good that Exercise Physiologist’s can help you with all of these areas, but how exactly do they do it? Here’s some things to expect when you see an Exercise Physiologist for the first time:

• You won’t even have to exercise (if you don’t want to) - our first session will focus on getting to know you and your situation, determining your short and long term goals and working together to create a really clear plan to ensure that you reach them! 
• We will find the right exercises for YOU. Exercise isn’t a “one size fits all” type of service - everyone enjoys and finds benefit in different types of exercises and we will make sure to find the right one for you. 
• You’ll be able to exercise on your own terms. Just like how we need different exercises for different people, the way we do these exercises will also differ from person to person. Whether your preference is the gym, the beach, at home, with others, by yourself or with the dog - we will make sure you feel confident and comfortable when you exercise. 
• We’ll set SMART goals. Goals are vital as they keep you motivated and on track for success. SMART goals mean that they are SPECIFIC to you, MEASUREABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC and have a TIMEFRAME. 
• You’ll have a plan. This is the most important part of our first session, we want you to leave feeling confident that you have a plan in place that will take you from where you are now to where you want to be in the future. We want you to feel confident in what’s required from you and from us as your Exercise Physiologist for each phase of the journey toward your long term goals.

I hope this blog has helped to give you a bit more of an insight as to what Exercise Physiology is and what an Exercise Physiologist does. Now that you’re feeling confident about what to expect when you see us, pick up the phone and call the office on 8682 6665 to book your appointment today!