WHAT IS AN EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST?
An exercise physiologist performs assessments on patients fitness levels and develops exercise programs, and healthy lifestyle education knowledge to help improve a patients overall well being. These physiologists can help healthy individuals and also patients with medical conditions, functional limitations or disabilities. The patients may have musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, metabolic, neuromuscular, and ageing conditions.
​
During an assessment an exercise physiologist will evaluate many of the follow aspects of general health such as:
Body Composition
Cardiovascular Evaluation( Blood pressure,Max and Sub maximal VO2 which is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption)
Strength, Endurance, and Power Evaluation
Flexibility Evaluation
​
Some frequently ask questions I normally get asked:
​
Why are Warm-Up and Cool-Downs important?
​
A Warm-up increases core body temperature, body movement and blood flow to the active working muscles to reduce muscle stiffness. By warming up it allows an increase in heart rate to get to a workable rate for beginning exercise. A cool-down will reduce the onset of delayed muscle soreness and aid in the decrease of waste products such as lactic acid. It also allows the heart rate to return to resting state and reduce the chances of dizziness or fainting. Static stretches are an appropriate cool down as they help the muscles relax and re-establish their normal range of motion.
​
What is Resistance Training?
​
When performed properly, resistance training will help to increase strength and mass of muscle, and bone strength. Resistance training can also help reduce body fat and can have a positive effect body composition. Resistance exercise is an effective way to lose and maintain body weight.
​
What is Aerobic exercise and why is it important?
​
Aerobic exercise increases heart and breathing rate to deliver oxygen to working muscles to keep you moving and sustain an activity for a period of time. Aerobic exercise can help prevent and reduce the chance of developing many diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Also aerobic exercise can benefit and improve in lower blood pressure and increase the efficiency of the heart leading to a healthy life style.
Can aerobic exercise help burn body fat?
​
Aerobic exercise is better for losing body fat than resistance training because it burns more calories. To lose fat in one area is tough to do because regional distribution of losing fat remains fairly stable with fat reduction.
​
For more information on how an exercise physiologist can benefit you please visit
​
