Exercise and lifestyle modification programs for people who are at risk of, or living with chronic conditions.

Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEP) specialise in clinical exercise prescription and the delivery of exercise and lifestyle modification programs for people of all ages who are at risk of or living with chronic conditions or diseases. Our AEP’s offer:
  • Management of chronic conditions and diseases using exercise and lifestyle modification
  • Musculoskeletal/surgical rehabilitation post 3 months
  • “Hands off” therapy using movement and exercise
  • Exercise treatment plans based on patient diagnoses and individual needs
  • Optimise musculoskeletal function to avoid reinjury

Anyone can benefit from seeing an AEP to assist with their health goals. AEP’s have specialised knowledge in prescribing exercise to the benefit of each individual. Our AEP’s use an individualised and evidence-based approach to tailor your exercise plan to target particular changes in the body. Interventions typically involve a combination of education, advice and support in managing your health and creating lasting lifestyle changes. They work closely with specialists, GP’s and other allied health professionals to ensure the utmost level of care is provided to their patients.

AEP’s also provide physical activity and behavioural change support for patients of the following conditions including, but not limited to:

  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Chronic Respiratory Diseases (Asthma, COPD, emphysema)
  • Chronic pain
  • Disabilities
  • Mental Health conditions (depression, anxiety, PTSD)
  • Musculoskeletal injuries
  • Obesity/weight issues
  • Osteoporosis
  • Physical restrictions or mobility issues (e.g. Poor balance)
  • Pre-diabetes and Diabetes (Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational)
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Stroke rehabilitation
  • Difficulty maintaining motivation and adherence to exercise routines

You do not need to be diagnosed with a chronic health condition to see an AEP. You may just want to improve your function or how you feel. For example: 

  • Does the thought of getting off the floor without any help worry you? 
  • Do you have a trip or event coming up that you want to prepare for? 
  • Would you like some advice helping with losing a few kilograms? 
  • Are you lacking some motivation to exercise and do not know how to start?  

Our specialty is exercise which can assist in many ways.

What Services are offered by AEP’s?

Initial Assessment

An AEP will commence with an initial assessment to determine health status, exercise/physical activity history, medications you are taking and any physical limitations. A physical assessment will also be undertaken to determine current physical abilities and to obtain some baseline measures. These are undertaken to ensure a suitable exercise program is tailored to your needs and goals. The AEP will provide detailed instruction on how to complete the program, including discussion on the role of exercise and how to achieve good technique.

The plan may include a development of an exercise program which may be in clinic, home based, individual or within a supervised group setting. Regular review assessments are often undertaken to determine how well you have been managing with your program and make necessary amendments to the program to continue development.

Individual Review Assessments

These are undertaken to see how well you have been tracking with your exercises, monitor any changes and to modify the initial program.

Home Exercise Programs

Programs are individually tailored to your needs and goals and are great to help you self-manage your health. They allow you to exercise in the comfort on your own home in a safe manner.

Home Visits

We can come to your place of residence for an initial assessment or one to one exercise sessions if you are unable to come to the clinic. The AEP can work to motivate and assist you with providing some exercises tailored to your goals and help you live an independent life. 

When recovering from an injury or health episode, it is important to keep your body moving to ensure you do not reduce capacity in other areas. It is about finding a strong team to help support your recovery. A multidisciplinary team may include your GP, Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Psychologist or other allied health professionals.  With these people working as a team we can achieve your health goals.   

Here is an example of the same problem, but two different ways an Exercise Physiologist could be utilised in your recovery:

  • You have a shoulder injury which is currently being managed by your GP
  • You may be referred by your GP to an AEP to assist directly with your rehabilitation by developing an exercise program to help improve function, strength and range of motion of your shoulder

If it is being managed by your GP and a Physiotherapist, an Exercise Physiologist can be used as an integral part of your multidisciplinary team to assist in speeding up recovery. We can achieve this by developing an exercise program to ensure you maintain or even improve your body’s functionality whilst recovering from your injury. By targeting areas such as your cardiovascular health and strength or endurance of the rest of your body, we can improve fitness measures without interfering with your primary treatment of the shoulder. This is important as if you just rest your whole body whilst recovering, your body will adapt to this reduced level of activity making it harder to return to all the activities you normally enjoy.

Pulmonary and Exercise Rehabilitation Program

Pulmonary rehabilitation can play a beneficial role if you have, or know of someone with respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension and cystic fibrosis. Lung diseases commonly affect lung function, causing loss or shortness of breath with activity. Unley Physiotherapy have developed a pulmonary and exercise rehabilitation program, which assesses your lung function, activity and exercise capacity to help you get to your best.

Benefits of completing pulmonary and exercise rehabilitation program include:

  • Improve functional exercise capacity
  • Reduce symptoms of anxiety or depression
  • Help you breathe easier
  • Improve your quality of life
  • Decrease symptoms such as dyspnoea and fatigue
  • Improve respiratory muscle strength

Pre and post testing:

  • Spirometry (FVC, FEV1)
  • Oxygen saturation
  • Heart rate
  • Blood pressure
  • Functional exercise capacity
  • Symptom limited exercise test

Service Delivery

Individual 45-60min rehabilitation sessions or group therapy directed by highly skilled Exercise Physiologists.

  • In clinic at Unley Physio Kings Park in a fully equipped gym
  • At home via home visits or telehealth online consults

Ask our friendly Reception team for more details.
*Costs may vary depending on individual private health funds.
*Home visit cost may vary depending on location.

Cardiac and Exercise Rehabilitation Program

Cardiac rehabilitation can play a beneficial role if you have or know of someone with cardiac conditions such as chronic heart failure, coronary heart disease, angina, heart valve repair or replacement, or risk factors for heart disease. E.g., high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking etc. Cardiac conditions commonly affect heart function and can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, blockages in valves impacting ones’ daily life.

Unley Physiotherapy have developed a cardiac and exercise rehabilitation program, which assesses your cardiac function, activity and exercise capacity to help you get to your best. You will learn how to safely exercise and how to best manage your cardiac condition. Programs are individualised, will take into consideration relevant co-morbidities and delivered by Exercise Physiologists.

The benefits of completing cardiac and exercise rehabilitation program include:

  • Reduce mortality and morbidity
  • Improve exercise capacity
  • Reduce hospital re-admissions
  • Enhance mental health and quality of life
  • Improves clinical outcomes e.g., improved cholesterol, blood pressure

Pre and post testing:

  • Oxygen saturation
  • Heart rate
  • Blood pressure
  • Functional exercise capacity
  • Symptom limited exercise test

Service Delivery:

Individual 45-60min rehab sessions or group therapy directed by highly skilled Exercise Physiologists.

  • At Unley Physio Kings Park practice in our fully equipped gym
  • At home via home visits or telehealth online consults

Ask our friendly Reception team for more details.
*Costs may vary depending on individual private health funds.
*Home visit cost may vary depending on location.

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