PERSONAL TRAINING VS EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY

When chronic illness is plaguing you and a solution isn’t readily available, engaging with a personal trainer is an attractive option. They’re affordable, they’re available and they’re popular. However, exercise physiologists have a wider range of tools and wealth of knowledge that they’ve studied hard to acquire, and offer better health and financial benefits. It’s worth investigating what an exercise physiologist can do for you when the going gets tough and you’re in need of physical rehabilitation.

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First and foremost, it’s worth noting that personal trainers often only have a few weeks’ formal training to supplement their personal experience in their field. While there are formal qualifications available for aspiring personal trainers, they don’t compare to the rigorous study requirements and reputation of the four-year university degree required to practice as an exercise physiologist.

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The rippling muscles and washboard abs of most personal trainers are attractive: you could grate cheese with them, but in 99.9% of cases an exercise physiologist will be far more qualified to prescribe an exercise or exercises for your chronic condition. Exercise physiologists can prescribe exercise treatments to anyone regardless of their physical health condition, including elite athletes or patients considered to be a high-risk. Personal trainers are not allowed to prescribe exercise treatments to anyone other than the “visibly healthy”. If your condition is serious, then an exercise physiologist will be a far more appropriate fit for your exercise needs.

Sure, those hours in the gym look good on a personal trainer, but any patient with a chronic illness must consider that exercise physiologists have had to do 500 hours of clinical placement before attaining their formal qualification. That’s equivalent to twenty one days of supervised, hands-on experience with a variety of clientele who have a vast range of cardiopulmonary, metabolic, musculoskeletal, neurological or neuromuscular conditions. Anyone with a certificate III in personal training who tells you they’re qualified to handle any serious medical condition affecting the muscles is mistaken. It’s worth considering reaching out to your local exercise physiologist to have a conversation about your condition and the experience they have treating other patients with similar conditions.

If you need a treatment plan for the long-term maybe think about what will motivate you to keep up with your exercises. Will being regularly screamed at motivate you to keep up with a routine? Or will having someone who has been trained in motivational psychology attempt to get you moving prove more effective at achieving your ambitions?

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What’s more, most exercise specialists (personal trainers included) will have some level of insurance to cover them in the instance you injure yourself during training or some other unfortunate event occurs under their care. The difference is, that the level of cover provided by exercise physiologists is significantly more comprehensive than that retained by personal trainers. Being insured to work with the clinically ill and those with chronic conditions is a huge advantage as not only does it beget a deeper understanding of the issues facing patients, it leaves you with peace of mind that if something happens you won’t be out of pocket.

Exercise physiologists are recognised as allied health workers, along with physiotherapists, chiropractors, dieticians, podiatrists and occupational therapists. It’s a different class of exercise professional that takes care of you when you invest in an exercise physiologist’s programme following diagnoses of chronic illness. Without the whistles, bells, fads and trends of a personal training regime, an exercise physiologist’s treatment plan is underpinned by a wealth of knowledge of latest industry techniques and results acquired during a formal university education. Every industry in every economy grows, adapts and changes as time moves on, but the ability to differentiate between a fad and best practice is what sets exercise physiologists apart from their personal trainer counterparts.

Healthcare cover and rebates may be available after investing in an exercise physiology treatment plan. For clients seeing an exercise physiologist under GP referral, workcover, Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA), diabetes service, or Aboriginal health services may be entitled to receive Medicare health rebates or bulked-billed services. Following, 30 of the leading Australian private health insurers now pay a benefit for services provided by an exercise physiologist. As many exercise physiologists are also registered as fitness professionals, any private health fund rebate available for personal training services are also claimable with your exercise physiologist. You won’t get the same benefits from a personal trainer.