Why See An AEP?
AEPs are experts in prescribing the right exercise to help you prevent/manage your chronic disease, help you recover from surgery or an injury, or help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. AEPs can help treat and/or manage a variety of conditions.
AEPs can help treat and/or manage
OBESITY
Being overweight and obesity are characterised by excess body weight and excessive energy intake vs energy expenditure with Body Mass Index (BMI) commonly used as the criterion to define these conditions. A BMI over 25 is classified as overweight, whereas obesity is measured as a BMI over 30.
Overweight/obesity is linked to numerous chronic diseases including CVD, diabetes, many forms of cancer and numerous musculoskeletal problems.
Diet and exercise both play a part in helping a person to achieve a healthy weight.
DIABETES
There are different types of diabetes; all types are complex and serious. The three main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is the more common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90% of all people with diabetes. Diabetes occurs when your blood glucose (blood sugar) is too high as a result of the body’s cells not responding effectively to insulin, therefore resulting in a build-up of glucose in the blood.
T2DM results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Lifestyle factors such as high blood pressure, overweight or obesity, insufficient physical activity and poor diet increase the risk of Diabetes significantly. Therefore, diet and regular exercise play a vital role in the management and prevention of T2DM.
Why is it important for people living with diabetes to exercise?
Exercise can improve the way the muscles respond to insulin, which helps regulate our blood glucose level for some hours after we exercise. Exercise also increases glucose uptake by the muscles in other ways that do not depend on insulin. In addition, exercise can lower the dose of insulin required by improving the body’s response to insulin.
ARTHRITIS
Arthritis and rheumatic disease are leading causes of pain and disability. Arthritis or osteoarthritis is a common chronic disorder of the joints and primarily affects older people. In healthy joints, cartilage covers the surface of the joint and helps to absorb shock and allows for smooth movement.
In arthritis the cartilage breaks down, leaving the ends of the bone unprotected and the joint loses its ability to move smoothly. The most common joints affected by arthritis are hips, knees, big toes, spine and hands.
Why is it important to exercise with arthritis?
Although pain and functional limitations present challenges to physical activity among individuals with arthritis, regular exercise is essential for managing these conditions. Specifically, exercise reduces pain, maintains muscle strength around affected joints, reduces joint stiffness, prevents functional decline and improves quality of life. Exercise can be effective in relieving symptoms as pain medication and anti-inflammatory drugs would, but has fewer side effects.
OSTEOPOROSIS
Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose minerals, such as calcium, more quickly than the body can replace them, leading to a loss of bone thickness (bone density). Any bone can be affected by osteoporosis, but the most common sites are the hip, spine, wrist, upper arm, forearm or ribs. Fractures in the spine due to osteoporosis can result in changes in posture and height loss.
Why is it important to exercise with osteoporosis?
Exercise can help bones modify their shape and size so they become stronger and this can prevent injuries. Exercise also increases muscle strength and improves balance, which can help reduce the risk of falls.
CHRONIC PAIN
Chronic pain (also known as persistent pain) is pain that persists beyond the expected healing time of an injury. Unlike acute pain which is caused by tissue damage, chronic pain or persistent pain is less about the structural or tissue damage and more about the sensitivity of the nervous system and ‘non tissue related factors’.
Why is it important to exercise with chronic pain?
Significant research has shown that exercise is an essential aspect in the treatment of chronic pain. Studies have shown that it can be an effective way to reverse this downward cycle of deconditioning and worsening pain, and gradually over time help those with chronic pain engage more in activities of enjoyment and essential activities of daily living with greater ease.
CANCER
Cancer is developed when abnormal cell function occurs. Cancerous cells can develop within all parts of the body and can invade surrounding and distant sites by spreading through the blood vessels and lymphatic systems. If diagnosis and treatment are not administered in the early stages of the disease, cancer can be life-threatening.
Why is it important to exercise with Cancer?
The potential benefits of exercise during and after treatment are significant and research has proved its effectiveness. Exercising during chemotherapy can help ease side effects, such as fatigue and nausea, and can help to boost the immune system of those undergoing cancer treatments. Chemotherapy side effects can sometimes make exercising tough, but it’s recommended to try to be as active as possible during treatment.
Benefits of an exercise program during cancer include increased muscle mass and strength, improved cardiorespiratory function, improved range of motion, immune function, reduce anxiety and depression and improved chemotherapy completion rates.
MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
Musculoskeletal Disorders or MSDs are injuries and disorders that affect the human body’s movement or musculoskeletal system (i.e. muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs, blood vessels, etc.).
Common Musculoskeletal conditions include:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tendonitis
Muscle / Tendon strain
Ligament Sprain
Neck Pain
Low Back Pain
Sciatica
Plantar fasciitis
Bursitis
NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE
Neurological diseases occur when the nerves that control movement are affected. They can be either acquired or are genetic. Neuromuscular disabilities include Multiple Sclerosis, Post-Polio Syndrome, and Parkinson’s disease.
Most neuromuscular diseases are incurable, however exercise is known to improve:
Quality of life
Reduce degradation rate of muscles
Improve movement
Improve symptoms and/or co morbidities
Prolong independence
Reduce risk of falls and injury
Prevent or limit disability.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD)
Cardiovascular diseases are life-threatening diseases that affect the function of the heart. The two most common include:
Chronic Heart Failure- the heart no longer effectively pumps blood to the lungs and the rest of the body and can be caused by heart attack, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Coronary Heart Disease- Blood flow of the coronary arteries around the heart is affected. Typically caused by fatty build up in the vessels.
Why is it important to exercise with CVD?
Exercise can prevent the development of CVD and can treat or alleviate symptoms. Regular low to moderate intensity exercise can prevent the blood vessels narrowing further, prevent blood clotting, increases blood flow to the heart and helps to maintain normal heart rhythm.
RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS
There are many lung conditions including but not limited to COPD, Lung Cancer, Asthma, Bronchiectasis, Interstitial Lung diseases, Pleural Mesothelioma, Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.
People living with chronic lung disease can find it difficult to stay active due to breathlessness and fatigue, however inactivity leads to increased breathlessness. Exercise increases fitness and muscle strength, which helps to improve symptoms.
MENTAL HEALTH
1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental illness. Mental illness can have an impact on a person’s cognitive, social and behavioural function, and can impact on their occupational, social and physical activities.
Mental illness includes anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and personality disorders.
There is significant evidence that suggests exercise is an effective treatment for acute and chronic mental illness, with some evidence suggesting that exercise is just as effective, if not more effective than medication in reducing depressive symptoms.
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Exercise Physiologists treat various women’s health conditions including:
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Abdominal separation (Diastasis Recti)
Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP)
Pregnancy related pain – Low back pain, sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain, Pelvic girdle pain etc
Endometriosis
Gestational Diabetes.
AEPs are experts in prescribing the right exercise to help you prevent/manage your chronic disease, help you recover from surgery or an injury, or help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.