Physical activity and exercise can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several lifestyle-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Extensive evidence shows that exercise can have immediate and long-term positive effects on physical and mental health. Whatever your current life situation and experience, exercise can improve your quality of life. If exercise were a pill, it would be prescribed to everyone!

An exercise physiologist is an Allied Health Professional in the same category as physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths. An exercise physiologist utilises exercise-based therapy to treat and manage your injuries and health conditions. Visit ESSA, our accrediting body, for further information (What is an Exercise Physiologist?).

While appearing similar from a distance, there is a significant difference between a personal trainer and an exercise physiologist. A Personal Trainer becomes qualified over 6-12 months and is eligible to work with “apparently healthy” individuals, which means that the client has no apparent injuries or medical conditions. On the other hand, an exercise physiologist has attended university for 4-5 years and, because of this, has a strong understanding of human anatomy, mechanics and physiology, as well as how injuries and medical conditions occur and affect the body. An exercise physiologist is qualified to work with “high risk” clients who may have several injuries or medical conditions, as they have the knowledge to ensure that best practice treatment occurs safely.

Exercise physiologist's treatment interventions are active and education-based. Patients are suffering from chronic (long-term) injury or illness. Physiotherapists' treatment modalities are predominantly passive therapies ('hands-on'). Patients are typically suffering from acute and sub-acute (short-term) injuries. Exercise physiologists are expertly trained in delivering strength & condition programmes, training load management and lifestyle/behaviour change. Unlike Physiotherapists, Exercise physiologists are unable to make clinical musculoskeletal diagnoses. Both Exercise physiologist and Physiotherapist interventions can include proprioceptive, balance, neuromuscular, manual handling, postural, range of movement and mobilisation training and education.

For your initial session, you should wear gym-appropriate clothing (i.e. Clothes that you are comfortable moving in, including enclosed footwear), any referrals or letters from your doctor or other health professionals, and a complete medication list. If needed, please also bring reading glasses.

In your initial session we will talk about your medical and exercise history, as well as your short and long term goals for recovery and the future. We may also conduct physical assessments to get a better picture of the level that you are currently at. All of this allows us to develop the best plan and prescribe the most effective exercise so that you will improve as quickly as possible.

No, you do not need a referral to see an exercise physiologist. However, we receive referrals from your GP through various sources, such as Medicare, WorkCover and NDIS.

Yes, our exercise physiologists are registered with private health insurers so you may be eligible for a rebate for exercise physiology services. We have a HICAPS machine on-site to provide you with on-the-spot rebates, so you will only have to pay the gap. If unsure, please get in touch with your health provider to check if you are covered for exercise physiology. Visit HICAPS to find out if your health fund includes exercise physiology cover.

We offer both 1-on-1 and group exercise physiology sessions. Group services include; the Strong & Stable group, Hydrotherapy group, T2Diabetes group, Blood Pressure group, and stay active group. Visit our services page for more information. Before attending group sessions, all clients must undergo an initial 1-on-1 consultation to ensure that the group session is appropriate.

No. You do not need to be a Mount Annan Leisure Centre member to access our exercise physiology services. We can tailor your treatment to home-based exercise if you prefer to exercise outside a gym. We will discuss the best way to complete your treatment with you in your initial consultation.

No. Your medicare referred sessions under your GP's CDM/EPC care plan are completely bulk billed, i.e. no gap payment.

In the best interest of obtaining your goals and to avoid any cancellation fee, if you need to cancel your exercise physiology session, we require at least 24 hours' notice before the booked session; otherwise, you may incur a $25 late cancellation fee for your 1:1 consultation or your entire fee for your group exercise physiology booking.