Exercise physiology and physical therapy both use exercise and physical movement to improve the condition of patients suffering from diseases or injuries. While physical therapy focuses on restoring movement to the restricted parts of the body, exercise physiology seeks to relieve symptoms through the cellular effect of exercise on the body. Exercise physiology is a branch of health care that studies the biological effect of exercise on the body’s cells and organs. The practice of exercise physiology seeks to prevent chronic diseases or to provide health benefits to those suffering from disease. Exercise physiology treats diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
Physical therapy uses techniques and exercises to restore movement in patients suffering from injuries, disease or aging. A physical therapy treatment plan uses an assessment of the patient’s functional abilities to develop exercises and treatments that will restore maximum movement. The goal of physical therapy is to improve the quality of life through improved functional abilities and fitness.
Graduate degree programs are available in exercise physiology and physical therapy. Physical therapists must have a minimum of a doctorate in physical therapy, but exercise physiologists may enter the field with a bachelor’s degree. A graduate program in exercise physiology includes courses in biochemistry, exercise science, sport nutrition, exercise programming for patients with chronic diseases, biomechanics and environmental physiology. Physical therapy programs include courses in anatomy, kinesiology of the extremities, musculoskeletal examination, exercise physiology, orthotics and prosthetics. Physical therapy programs include clinical rotations and some graduates complete an additional residency program after graduation. Certification is available for exercise physiologists from the American Society of Exercise Physiologists.
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Clinical exercise physiologist salary with master’s degree
Exercise physiologists typically need at least a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. Degree programs include science and health-related courses, such as biology, anatomy, kinesiology, and nutrition, as well as clinical work. Exercise physiologists work in hospitals, physical therapy offices, fitness centers and clinics. Physiologists assess patients with a fitness test to determine their current physical condition. The fitness test tracks the patient’s heart rate, oxygen levels and blood pressure while they are engaged in physical activity. The assessment also evaluates the patient’s strength and flexibility. Exercise physiologists use the information from the patient evaluation to prescribe a treatment of physical activity to improve chronic health conditions.
The median annual wage for exercise physiologists was $47,940 in May 2021., according to the BLS. The highest paying industry for 2021, according to the BLS statistics, was the home healthcare services industry, which paid a mean annual wage of $71,980.
Employment of exercise physiologists is projected to grow 13 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. About 1,500 openings for exercise physiologists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Salary
- Exercise physiologists employed in the sports sector may earn between £18,000 and £35,000. If you work in high-profile sports science, your salary can exceed £60,000 and may reach up to £100,000.
- Clinical exercise physiologists working in the NHS are usually covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates. You’ll typically start at the lower end of Band 5 (£24,907 to £30,615), and will need to undertake a considerable amount of continuing professional development (CPD) to progress up the pay scale.
- Salaries for qualified exercise physiology lecturers in higher education typically range from £24,000 to £37,000. Details of the pay scale for lecturers can be found at the University and College Union (UCU).
Salaries can vary greatly depending on your employer and the type of work you’re involved in.
How to become a clinical exercise physiologist
As an exercise physiologist you’ll investigate how people respond and adapt to muscular activity and will use your skills and knowledge to improve their performance and fitness levels or to help prevent or treat illness.
You’ll typically provide scientific support to athletes and teams within one or several sports. This may involve monitoring training through the measurement and assessment of physical functions such as respiration, metabolism and the nervous, pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. You might also be involved in developing fitness training programmes to adequately prepare athletes for competition.
If working as a clinical exercise physiologist in a hospital setting, you’ll provide expert advice on exercise for people with a range of chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Responsibilities
As an exercise physiologist, you’ll typically need to:
- fitness test athletes to build accurate physiological profiles
- develop tailored fitness training programmes
- monitor and reassess training plans on a regular basis
- liaise with coaching staff to maximise the effects of training
- educate and advise athletes and coaches on areas such as heart rate monitoring, recovery techniques, hydration strategies, overtraining and acclimatisation
- provide benchmark physiological information to enable long-term athletic development
- work in collaboration with other sport and exercise professionals such as physiotherapists, dietitians, strength and conditioning coaches, and sport psychologists
- use specialist resources and equipment such as aqua pacers, osmometers and electronic timing systems
- produce reports and longitudinal studies
- keep up to date with ongoing research
- raise awareness of health and fitness issues and promote the benefits of sport and exercise
- teach academic courses.
If you’re working as a clinical exercise physiologist, you’ll generally need to:
- perform a range of investigations, including exercise tolerance tests, to assess patient risk
- work directly with patients on how to make changes to their lifestyle
- refer patients where necessary to other specialists
- work as part of a multidisciplinary team including clinicians and allied health professionals
- teach and present to allied related medical staff
- work with community groups, volunteers and local councils to raise awareness of the benefits of exercise.
