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Exercise Rehabilitation and Lifestyle Management. Empowering life through Movement.

Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) are not Personal Trainers. AEPs are allied-health professionals with Medicare Provider numbers and are trained members of the health and medical sector. Fitness professionals (e.g. personal trainers) are members of the sport and recreation sector.

Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP)

  • Allied Health Provider
  • 4 Year University Degree qualified and accredited with ESSA.
  • Specialise in graded exercise therapy and lifestyle interventions for persons at risk of developing, or with existing chronic and complex medical conditions and injuries (i.e. ‘specific populations’).

Personal Trainer

  • The Personal Fitness Trainer Qualification (Certificate 4) may be completed in less than 6 weeks of training.
  • Qualified and insured to design and deliver fitness programs to persons of low risk only (i.e. “apparently healthy populations”).

 

HOW CAN AN ACCREDITED EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST HELP?

 

Low Back Pain Rehabilitation | Fit Clinic | Sydney Gym | Fitness And Health | Rehabilitation Training
Young female at the physical therapist office getting treatment for back pain.

 

Accredited exercise physiologists (AEPs) hold a four-year university degree and are allied health professionals who specialise in the delivery of exercise for the prevention and management of chronic diseases and injuries. AEPs provide support for clients with conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, mental health problems, cancer, arthritis, pulmonary disease and more. AEPs are eligible to register with Medicare Australia, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and WorkCover and are recognised by most private health insurers.

AEPs work in:

  • private clinics
  • hospitals
  • occupational rehabilitation companies
  • employment agencies
  • gymnasiums
  • GP super clinics
  • research institutes.

You might see an AEP to help you:

  • overcome persisting pain caused by injury or overuse
  • improve your heart health
  • rehabilitate following a cardiac event
  • control your diabetes
  • prevent pre-diabetes from progressing to full diabetes
  • improve your recovery following cancer treatment
  • improve your general health and wellbeing.

AEPs also provide training in safe manual handling; perform functional assessments; carry out sub-maximal and maximal fitness tests; perform body composition tests and musculoskeletal assessments; and provide lifestyle education to help people manage their health conditions.

In Australia, we have the unique situation where we’re working backwards. We have the existing resources and infrastructure including the specialised workforce of Exercise Physiologists and the Medicare subsidies which enable Australians to access these services, but we need to significantly increase our activity levels as 70% of Australians are not active enough.

Accredited Exercise Physiologists are allied health professionals, providing exercise and lifestyle therapies for the prevention and management of chronic disease, injury and disability.

 

www.essa.org.au