What drives our passion for what we do as Allied Health Professionals? I consider myself and my team to be very fortunate, in the way that we have found an occupation that not only fulfils us personally, but enables us to give the people we meet the skills and knowledge towards achieving a better quality of life. As you can imagine, this is incredibly rewarding!

So I posed the following 3 questions to the Restart team, as well as to Zara our resident Dietitian from EatSmart Nutrition.

What made you want to become an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP)?

What is your favourite aspect of being an AEP?

Favourite client success story?

I hope the following insights help you to familiarise yourself with how we go about our jobs as Exercise Physiologists and Dietitians, as well as encourage you to get in touch with Restart should you ever require assistance overcoming an injury, or better managing a health condition through exercise and healthy eating.

Luke

What made you want to become an AEP?

As a lifetime lover of sport, pursuing a Sport and Exercise Science degree was the natural progression for me following high school. My initial goals were to become affiliated with a high level sports team and work with athletes, but this soon changed as my degree progressed. Realising that I could direct my skills and knowledge to assist everyday people like you and I to move better and feel better struck me as a more fulfilling role to take on, and that is where I find myself today.

What is your favourite aspect of being an AEP?

The best part of the job has to be the variety of people that we get to meet and help towards better health and wellness. No two days are the same, meaning that each day is stimulating and enjoyable. The opportunity to help people overcome difficult periods, and to give them a source of hope moving forward is greatly rewarding. As a business owner, seeing my team put their skills into action to help more and more people every month is very enriching.

Favourite client success story?

Just last night actually, I had a gentleman come in for an injury risk and mobility assessment (https://www.restartep.com.au/injury-risk-assessment/). Upon arrival his movement was extremely poor, very guarded, twisted in his gait and very much ‘carrying’ his right leg, all the while with a pained, grimaced look on his face. A previous CT scan reported unremarkable changes at the lumbar spine, yet he reported 7-8 out of 10 Sciatic-type pain referral down his right leg. I took him through the mobility appraisal, all the while noting how tentative and pained his movement was. We then performed two relatively simple soft tissue releases which took a combined total of 5 minutes, and I had him go for a short walk. The instant results were incredible; he not only stood up straighter, he walked with much improved fluency, his arms swung more naturally, and best of all he smiled for the first time all appointment!

Kate

What made you want to become an AEP?

I chose to study Exercise Physiology because I have always had a passion towards the health industry. At first it was hard to determine which avenue I should choose to study intensely however the more i delved into my Exercise Physiology studies the more i wanted to learn and the more I found the variety of content challenging and interesting. Today I find myself in a satisfying position and practice where everyday I get to impart my knowledge onto clients who are suffering from minor to severe health (physical and mental) issues. We work together to achieve positive outcomes whilst building their understanding of their conditions.

What is your favourite aspect of being an AEP?

For me, helping others through educational means and creating change in their lives through health interventions is truly satisfying. I come to work enthusiastic and leave everyday with a positive story or health outcome. Some client cases are more challenging than others and that is what motivates me to become a better EP through continuing to learn through professional development. I love working in a team of young, enthusiastic, motivated EPs who are genuinely caring people.

Favourite client success story?

I recently finished treating an 81 year old man who was referred for osteoarthritis, nagging back pain exacerbated by walking/bending/standing, neck issues and poor upper body strength. I saw him over a 4 month period and he gained excellent results. Apart from gaining improvements in joint range of motion and reductions in back pain, he verbalised feeling better overall and moving more. His confidence improved out of sight and he now performs a home exercise program daily.

 

Tom

What made you want to become an AEP?

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by sport. Whether we were playing in the yard or on the field as kids, or attending games of all varieties, sport has been my number one interest. Coupling this with an interest in the human body and how it performs, exercise physiology was the logical choice for me once I finished school.

What is your favourite aspect of being an AEP?

As an AEP, I feel like our scope of practice is much more than what we learnt in university. I am continually learning new techniques and treatment modalities that I can apply to both my current clients and myself in order to improve overall function. Sometimes as an EP, you have to be part-psychologist, part-nutritionist, part-physiotherapist etc, in order to understand and improve the welfare of your clients. I really love the broad base of knowledge that is required to succeed as an AEP and the amount of information out there that is still to be learnt over my years in the industry.

Favourite client success story?

I recently had a middle aged male attend Restart EP for a consult with chronic severe low back pain, at best 4-5/10, with a heavy reliance on pain medication. He had tried various treatment methods previously with no success and was struggling to find any motivation to try anything new because of what had occurred before. I suggested hydrotherapy, to which he responded positively, because he had not been offered this previously. Over the course of the last 12 weeks, he has reduced his low back pain to a minimal rating, reduced his reliance on pain medication to nearly nil, improved his lumbopelvic and posterior chain range of motion and rediscovered his motivation for activities that used to bring him happiness. Whilst we still have a lot of work to do, I am very happy with the progress so far and look forward to what we can achieve in the future.

 

Duncan

What made you want to become an AEP?

I was always interested in health and the body and rehab. My first practical experience was fantastic and confirmed that becoming an exercise physiologist was for me.

What is your favourite aspect of being an AEP?

I love when people get a positive result or reaction and tell me that they feel better or are pain free. Creating positive change in people’s lives is a great feeling.

Favourite client success story?

I have a client who is in his late 30s, is fairly active but has been dealing with tightness through his entire right side and had shoulder, back and hip pain. He had been to numerous Physiotherapists and tried many different things. He mentioned that he feels the best he has felt in a long time. He also expressed that I was the first person to identify issues and look at the whole body and systems rather than isolated spots. He still has a way to go but is more mobile and has reduced instances of pain.

 

Craig

What made you want to become an AEP?

From a young age I have always been surrounded by health and fitness. My father would perform triathlons on a regular basis and my mother played various sports. I have always had a passion for helping other people and found that choosing a career path as an AEP could allow me to do this on a daily basis. It’s a great way to spend time with people and get to know their “story”.

What is your favourite aspect of being an AEP?

My favourite aspect of being an AEP would definitely be the client interaction and achieving any goals the client has along the way. Building rapport with people and getting to see their faces and hear their words of gratitude, further instils the reason why I became an AEP.

Favourite client success story?

I am currently working with a 30 year old male, who suffered a scaphoid lunate ligament tear whilst at work. He came to Restart as a WorkCover patient and has been recovering from a ligament tear for over 9 months. His goal was to return to full duties at work (Carpenter). The focus of our sessions was on improving his grip strength and mobility through his hand. After a month of exercise rehab his grip strength improved by 15kg. He has recently been cleared by his surgeon for a return to full work duties.

 

Bernadette

What made you want to become an AEP?

I have always had a love for playing sport. However, I’ve had a few of my own injuries which have stopped me along the way. Through learning about these injuries and how to manage them with the correct rehabilitation exercises and stretches, I developed a passion for the field of Exercise Physiology.

What is your favourite aspect of being an AEP?

The aspect which I enjoy the most is being able to help a range of clients. Whether it’s assisting them in achieving their goals, helping them reduce their pain levels, or giving them the knowledge and tools they need to improve their own health and wellness.

Favourite client success story?

My favourite client success story is a client who was referred to me for pre-habilitation in preparation for his scheduled knee surgery. Through our sessions and his dedication to his home exercise program, we were able to strengthen his lower body to the point where his pain was managed and his doctor was able to cancel the scheduled surgery.

 

Zara Nance

What made you want to become Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)?

I grew up in a very fit and healthy family where exercise and healthy eating was always practiced so I feel it has meshed into my personal development in life and in my habits and hobbies. I have always been an active individual involving myself in several sports. My interest in nutrition came about after school where I got heavily involved in more individual sports such as running, cycling and triathlon, where I then discovered a very important relationship between fuelling your body with adequate nutrition to get the best out of training and sporting performances. My first year of University saw me start in a Bachelor of Science degree where I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to major in. When I saw UQ’s new “Exercise and Nutrition Science” degree I quickly switched over and began my journey in nutrition and physiological sciences loving every bit of it. I faced another important decision regarding what career path I wanted to pursue with this degree. I decided I was very interested in nutrition science and there found myself following the dietetics pathway. I then found my passion for understanding the intricate details of the body’s biochemistry, physiology and metabolism and how nutrition can play a very importance role for exercise, general health and preventable chronic diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, which sees me here today working in private practice as a dietitian.

What is your favourite aspect of being an APD?

Being a dietitian in private practice means a huge variety and diversity of patients that I see daily and therefore am never bored of doing the same thing day in day out. I also practice as a Sports Dietitian which means I get to work with athletes or sports teams of all levels which is where one of my main interests is satisfied- sports nutrition.

Favourite client success story?

Consulting a husband and wife together throughout their weight-loss journey has been the highlight of my year so far, seeing them lose around 9kg each collectively shedding 18kg (so far)!!! Not to mention they have completely changed their lifestyle and habits into healthier ones. This is what I love, as providing nutrition education and seeing it put into practice means their time and my time and effort is worthwhile and really paying off with tangible results.