As summer approaches and the new year turns over, many people are thinking about their New Year’s resolutions. Many resolutions are often built around exercise or health related goals. Have you ever joined a boot camp or started a 6-week challenge to achieve that New Year’s resolution of losing weight? Were you one of the unfortunate participants who injured their knee during burpees or did you tweak your lower back lifting weights?
Are you left asking yourself “what do I do now to lose weight and resolve my knee or back injury?” My answer for you is to see an Exercise Physiologist.
An Exercise Physiologist, also known as an EP, is a health professional whose primary role is to prescribe safe and appropriate exercise to help achieve your goals; whether that’s managing an injury or a health condition or to increase your fitness. Ultimately, our goal as EPs is to improve each client’s quality of life through exercise. Our skill set is diverse; we can effectively manage and treat more than a sprained ankle or torn muscle. Exercise Physiologists are university degree educated and understand what happens at a cellular level when the body exercises. Exercise Physiologists learn about how the body responds to exercise when someone has an injury, chronic health condition or a disability.
I am always excited to see that there is new information constantly being shared across multiple media platforms about how exercise can help with different conditions. However, there is still a perception or stigma that exercise is just lifting weights in a gym or running on a treadmill. Exercise under the guidance of an EP is so much more! We selectively utilise appropriate exercise modalities that will be the most effective towards achieving your health-related goal. This might include stretching and mobility exercises to help improve flexibility or exercise in a pool to reduce
joint pain or even balance specific exercises to reduce the risk of falls.
Exercise Physiologists don’t have a “one size fits all” approach like most boot camps and challenges do. While we may be tasked with managing a client’s injury, we can also provide a more tailored exercise routine that will effectively but safely assist in achieving their goals which could include weight loss.
To help explain the ways that an Exercise Physiologist can help people improve their quality of life, I have provided the following examples. Many of the clients we see at Empower Health NQ are suffering some form of chronic disease and appreciate that exercise can help them improve or rehabilitate their condition. We treat people who have been diagnosed with cardiac disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and much more.
Exercise Physiologists also play an important role in helping people regain mobility following a spinal injury or neurological impact, or simply rehabilitating from a knee or hip replacement. Learning to walk again and improving strength are qualities of life we all take for granted and is something people will often need clinical assistance to regain if they have suffered a serious injury or operation.
As people become older or live with a disability, the ability to remain independent and living in their own home will depend to a large extent on the person’s ability to remain physically capable and free from the risk of falling. All of these conditions require clinical oversight when they are exercising so that they can have confidence and feel safe while exercising.
As an Exercise Physiologist, I see a variety of clientele every day. What I love about my job is seeing my client’s reaction as they overcome the challenges that their condition or injury that has been impacting their quality of life.
I am grateful to have such a rewarding profession and for the opportunity to discuss how an Exercise Physiologist can help you in this edition of Living Healthy. If you want to learn more about how an Exercise Physiologist can help you, contact your local Exercise Physiologist. Let’s make sure that your next New Year’s resolution is achievable and that you’re on track to become your healthiest and most active self yet.
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