Curated Careers with Terri Homans
Exercise Physiology is not gym PT
Heath Thomas
Exercise Physiologist
15 April 2026
Episode Description
Exercise physiology is often misunderstood as either personal training or physiotherapy. In this episode, Accredited Exercise Physiologist Heath Thomas explains what the role actually involves, how exercise is used in structured rehabilitation, and why the work is as much about people as it is about physical recovery.
In this episode you will learn:
• what exercise physiologists do and how the role differs from physios and personal trainers
• how exercise is applied in rehabilitation for injury, chronic conditions and mental health
• what the day-to-day work looks like, including admin and client management
• the early career realities, including income and workload
• why communication, trust and emotional awareness are critical in this field
Who this episode is for
Students exploring allied health careers
People considering a career pivot into health or rehabilitation
Those interested in chronic pain, mental health or community care
Anyone wanting a realistic view of working in health services
Real jobs. Real insight. No Gloss.
If this episode helped clarify a potential career path, explore more conversations or learn how Curated Careers can support your next step.
Key Takeaways
Exercise physiologists are allied health clinicians, not physios or gym PTs. They use evidence-based exercise as a treatment to help people recover from injury, manage chronic conditions, and improve health and function.
This job is as much psychology and communication as it is exercise programming. A big part of the work is education, building confidence, and adapting plans to the person’s stress, pain beliefs, and day-to-day capacity.
The day-to-day is mostly client sessions, plus travel, admin and report writing to keep the care team and funders aligned. The work is rewarding and the field is expanding, but the pay can be lower than expected and burnout is real in high-volume clinics.
Thinking bout this career?
Download the Career Brief sheet (5 min read)