The awesome health benefits of working with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist
Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are university educated allied health professionals. They specialise in the delivery of clinical exercise, lifestyle and behavioural modification programs for the prevention and management of chronic disease and injury. Exercise Physiologists have completed a four-year university degree in exercise physiology, and have an in-depth understanding of how the human body works.
If you have a chronic disease or disability, or your health needs to improve, your doctor or allied health professional has probably already discussed the need for you to make lifestyle changes. These sorts of changes typically focus around your activity levels and your diet or nutrition. Many health professionals highly recommend implementing a structured exercise program, especially if you live an inactive lifestyle. But while you know that it is important to be active, the reality is that making lifestyle changes can be difficult and hard to stick to. It can also be challenging to know the correct way to exercise. Not all forms of exercise are going to help you, and some types of exercise may actually be harmful to your body or your health.
See an AEP when you need the confidence to undertake an appropriate exercise program for you, based on your lifestyle, medical needs and personal health goals. When you have a medical condition or injury that requires specialist health care and professional exercise advice, you should consult an exercise physiologist.
Exercise Physiologists provide support for people with:
- Obesity and related illness
- Cardiovascular or heart disease
- Diabetes & other Metabolic conditions
- Osteoporosis and Osteopaenia
- Osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis
- Depression and Anxiety
- Cancer and cancer recovery
- Chronic pain and Chronic fatigue
- Stroke & other Neurological conditions
- Respiratory or Pulmonary disease
- Pre and Post-surgical rehabilitation
- Musculoskeletal pain and injury
- Cerebral palsy, Autism and other developmental difficulties
- Fibromyalgia
- Decreased mobility
- And many more…
An Exercise Physiologist will generally treat a huge variety of conditions, essentially they will work with anything where there is good evidence for exercise improving patients’ clinical outcomes… And it just so happens that that covers the vast majority of medical conditions and diseases.
Exercise plays a major role in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases and illness and we know that leading an active lifestyle and participating in regular exercise has well-documented benefits for your health. At every stage of your life, it’s ideal that you remain active and exercise to suit your changing needs, to improve your health, live a life full of energy, and avoid the onset of chronic disease.
Exercise Physiologists will guide and support you to make lifestyle changes that will help you improve your fitness, strength,mobility and posture. Your energy levels will increase, and you will feel the short-term and long-term benefits of making positive lifestyle changes.
Research has shown many benefits of Exercise Physiology:
- Reduced risk of fatal heart attacks by up to 50%
- Recover from cancer treatment quicker
- Improved breathing in those with lung disease by 70%
- Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 60%
- Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Improved recovery rate after surgery
- Reduced pain and improved mobility for people with osteoarthritis
Exercise Physiology is also great if you have been told that you are on the borderline of developing a chronic disease. For example, if your doctor has told you that you are pre-diabetic, or if you have a family history of heart disease, or you are worried about developing arthritis, then exercise therapies can help prevent you from developing these diseases or limit the extent to which they develop.
Exercise physiology and heart health
Regular exercise is a great way to lower your risk of heart disease. Exercise strengthens muscles in your body, including your heart muscle which becomes more efficient and better able to pump blood throughout your body. This means that the heart pushes out more blood with each beat, allowing it to beat slower and keep your blood pressure under control.
When you exercise regularly, your body’s tissue (including the heart) do a better job of pulling oxygen from your blood. This allows your heart to work better under stress. If you are living with chronic disease or disability, it’s really important to keep your muscles (including your heart) as healthy and strong as possible.
Physical activity also allows better blood flow in the small blood vessels around your heart. Clogs in these arteries can lead to heart attacks. There’s also evidence that exercise helps your body make more branches and connections between these blood vessels, so there are other routes for your blood to travel if the usual path is blocked by narrow arteries or fatty deposits.
Exercise also increases your levels of the “good” cholesterol that lowers heart disease risk by flushing the artery-clogging “bad” cholesterol out of your system.
AEPs tailor the right exercise plan for you, and prescribe the correct exercises to suit your medical background, ensuring that you reduce your risk of negative health outcomes and ultimately improve your quality of life.
Did you know you can claim Exercise Physiology through Medicare?
You already know that Medicare covers many of the medical expenses of General Practitioner (GP) visits, public hospital stays, specialist medical appointments, annual eye tests, and many other important life-saving medical services. But did you know that you can use your Medicare will give you a rebate for the specialised exercise services of a qualified Exercise Physiologist?
This initiative by the Australian Federal Government aims to address the pressing need within our community of treating chronic medical conditions with exercise and lifestyle modification programs. As one of the first public health care systems in the world to support exercise-based intervention and treatment plans. The role of an Exercise Physiologist in the management, treatment, and prevention of chronic diseases in Australia is well-established and recognised.
The Medicare system provides assistance for sufferers of a medical condition under the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) scheme, giving access to the specialist services of an Exercise Physiologist. There are numerous medical conditions covered under the scheme that are eligible to be supported by specialised exercise and lifestyle modification programs, including:
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Depression
- Arthritis
- Stroke
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
According to the Department of Health and Ageing, eligible patients must have a chronic medical condition which is being managed by a GP under schemes known as GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements. These strategies allow most patients to be referred by their GP to a qualified Exercise Physiologist.
Can’t claim through Medicare?
If you are unable to claim through Medicare, don’t worry! Exercise Physiology is affordable and you can claim through most Private Health Insurance companies. You don’t need a referral to see an Exercise Physiologist if you aren’t claiming through Medicare.
To find out more about how an Exercise Physiologist can help you, call us on 8370 3044 or alternatively you can click the button below to book an appointment with our Accredited Exercise Physiologist Marissa Hoey.
