Exercise Physiology training at Active Health Clinic Exercise Physiology training at Active Health Clinic Exercise Physiology training at Active Health Clinic

Exercise Physiology (EP)

Accredited Exercise Physiologists who specialise in complex, invisible illness

Tailored, holistic and practical support for people to better understand and manage their invisible illneses.

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Exercise Physiology training at Active Health Clinic

It's not only the symptoms...

Managing invisible illnesses come with a myriad symptoms and associated challenges, but it doesn't stop there, it can be really hard to find the right support. 

Nobody Believes You
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Tests come back “normal”, appointments are expensive and rushed. You keep leaving feeling gaslit, dismissed or misunderstood.

You're facing it alone
Title

Friends, family, even clinicians don’t quite get it, so you bottle things up and mask how hard it really is.

No Real Roadmap
Title

You’ve tried everything from Google to Specialists, but nothing feels connected, cohesive, or built for you.

Fear of Crashing
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You want to move forward, but the fear of setbacks keeps you stuck in survival mode.

Daily Tasks Drain You
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Cooking, cleaning, or even replying to a message can wipe you out completely.

You’ve Lost Trust
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You’re doing your best, but you no longer feel safe or confident in your body’s signals.

What is an Exercise Physiologist?

We get this question a lot, so we made this quick video to talk you through what EPs do at Active Health Clinic!

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How it works

We start with education. Your first one or two appointments are about getting to know you, understanding your baseline and capacity, and exploring your pacing, triggers and restorative practices. From there, we build a plan together that actually fits you.

You leave the first appointment with a roadmap

Our initial assessments are comprehensive, because they need to be. You come away with a plan we’ve built together, not a textbook plan handed to you.

There's a curriculum behind it

Our curriculum is comprehensive with each topic building on the last. We start with your diagnosis, symptoms, capacity, triggers and restorative practices, before exploring areas like nervous system and sleep physiology — helping you understand the why and how behind what’s happening in your body.

Built on Evidence & Experience

Since opening in 2008, our approach has continued to evolve alongside the evidence. Our curriculum is evidence-informed and shaped by research, clinical expertise and lived experience.

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What you walk away with

We call it building your toolkit - giving you the knowledge, strategies and practical tools you can continue to refine over time, so you can better understand your body, manage your symptoms and navigate your illness with more confidence and control.

A management plan for flare-ups and bad days, tailored to you.

Your do’s and don’ts, guided by your own symptoms, capacity and triggers.

Your restorative practices. The things that help you settle, recharge and recover.

A folder of information and resources that grows every appointment.

Exercise Physiology at AHC

If the word exercise makes you wary, that makes sense to us. Most people who come here tried pushing through at some point, because that's what they were told to do. And for many, it cost them.

 

So we lead with physiology. We look at how your condition is actually behaving, what your capacity can realistically carry, and where exercise practically fits within that.

 

We listen first. Your symptoms are real, even if they don't show up on a test. You know your body better than anyone else in the room, and that's where we start.

- Raeya Bognar

COO, Active Health Clinic

We treat invisible illnesses every day

Our Exercise Physiologists work with people living with ME/CFS, Long COVID, POTS and other forms of dysautonomia, hypermobility spectrum disorders, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and other complex invisible illnesses every week.

More than just clinical experience

Some of our team have their own diagnoses and lived experience in this space, and it’s a big part of why we’re so passionate about the work we do.

Start my journey

Our Exercise Physiology Programs are built around YOUR symptoms

No diagnosis is needed to start. If you recognise yourself here, we can help you find a way to move that fits your body.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

ME/CFS, Post-Viral Conditions, Long Covid, Autoimmune & Neurological related fatigue

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Hypermobility & Connective Tissue Disorders

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD)

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Pain Syndromes

Fibromyalgia, Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Learn More

Sleep 
Disorders

Narcolepsy, Idiopathic Hypersomnia

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Dysautonomia

Orthostatic Intolerance (OI), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

Learn More

Mast Cell Disorders

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Mastocytosis

Long COVID

ME/CFS, Post-Viral Conditions, Long Covid, Autoimmune & Neurological related fatigue, Fibromyalgia

Learn More

Associated Diet Conditions

Gastroparesis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), MCAS, Eating Disorders, MALS

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What we’re working towards.

We want to help you control your health rather than feeling like your health controls you

Preventing decline: First, we want to stop things from getting worse. Reducing the boom-and-bust cycle, preventing flare-ups where we can, and protecting the capacity you currently have.

Finding stability: Understanding your baseline, recognising your triggers and creating more predictability around your symptoms and capacity.

Working towards progression: Where your health allows it, we work towards increasing capacity and helping you do more of what matters to you — whether that’s work, study, family, hobbies or simply more of everyday life.

And sometimes, the goal is management: Some of the conditions we work with can improve significantly over time. Others may remain part of your life. Progress doesn’t have to mean being symptom-free or getting back to “full functioning”.

 

Sometimes, progress is fewer crashes, more stability, better symptom management, more confidence in your body, or having enough capacity for the things that matter to you.

 

Ultimately, we’re working towards quality of life within the reality of your diagnosis — whatever that looks like for you.

Our background

The foundations behind our approach 

We say evidence-informed, and that wording is deliberate. The research in this space is still evolving, and evidence alone doesn’t tell us what will work for you. We can talk about pacing all day, but if it doesn’t fit your life, your capacity and your circumstances, textbook knowledge doesn’t translate into practice.

Our team’s clinical, academic and research backgrounds span a range of hospitals, universities and professional organisations. 

We’ve contributed to national guidelines, partnered with leading medical bodies, and been featured in the media for our work supporting patients with ME/CFS, POTS, dysautonomia, hypermobility conditions, Long Covid and more.

60,000

Clinic Hours

12,000+

People Treated

12+

Countries reached via Telehealth

20+

Amazing team members

18

Years Operation

75+

Combined Years of Clinical Expertise

Start With a Conversation

1. Tell Us Your Story

A no-pressure call where we get to know you, your symptoms, and listen to your path.

2. Get a Personalised Plan

We design a custom support plan based on your needs. It might include a thorough assessment, dietetic care, pacing tools, movement therapy and other services.

3. Own Your Journey

You’ll work with trusted clinicians, online or in-person, at a pace that works for your body

Tell Us Your Story Today!

Schedule Call

03 9878 5394

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will I be exercising in the first appointment?

No, you won't. The first three or four appointments are about understanding your condition, working out where your capacity sits, and building your plan. An exercise program only comes in later, if and when it's applicable.

How much does the program cost?

All invisible illnesses present in vastly, vastly different ways.

 

Because of this, our programs are tailored to how your condition manifests, and hence, the costs vary based on the support needed. 

 

For program costs and information about available rebates, please give us a call!

03 9878 5394

How do I know this isn't just another cookie cutter approach?

Most of us here at AHC have lived with invisible illnesses, and we know they don't work.

 

We meet you where you are: what you already know, who's already on your team, and what you actually want from us. The plan comes out of that conversation.

Can you help me talk with my healthcare team?

Yes, we can. With your consent, we stay in contact with your medical team and work alongside them. It's one of the more useful things we do and it costs you nothing to ask for.

How long is an appointment?

Longer than you're probably used to. Initial appointments are the longest, and your exercise physiologist also does work after it, writing up the assessment and putting the first version of your plan together.

Do I need a referral?

No, you don't need a referral or a diagnosis to book with us. A referral only matters if you want to claim a Medicare rebate, which needs a Chronic Condition Management plan from your GP. Our reception team can talk you through it.

What is an Exercise Physiologist?

We get asked this a lot. An exercise physiologist is a university-qualified allied health practitioner, and we do a different job to a physio or a personal trainer. Here's a short video on what ours do.

How many appointments will I need?

On average, somewhere between four and eight. It moves with what you want, what you already know, and what you can afford. Some people keep working with us well past eight, and some don't need to.

Can I come with questions?

Please do. Bring the list, bring the results, bring the thing your specialist said that you've been turning over since. This works better as a conversation.

What if I can't get to your clinic?

Most people don't come in. Across the clinic, more than 70 per cent of our appointments are telehealth, and one of our exercise physiologists works by telehealth only. If you'd rather come in, we see people in Blackburn, Frankston and Essendon.

Other ways to get in touch

03 9878 5394

Book a meeting

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Are You Missing a Diagnosis?

This quick, free tool was built to help people with complex symptoms connect the dots. It's not a diagnosis, but it might just give you clarity on what to look into next.

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