What’s clinical exercise physiology?

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Exercise physiology is the scientific study of how physical activity affects the body. There are two types of exercise physiology: sport and clinical. Sport exercise physiology applies knowledge of exercise to develop fitness routines for athletes, while clinical exercise physiology uses exercise as a form of chronic disease treatment and prevention, as well as for therapeutic purposes.

Professional clinical exercise physiologists generally work in hospitals, sports medicine clinics, and physical therapy centers. They meet with patients and customize exercise regimens that will be the most beneficial for their health problems. For example, someone with heart disease may be prescribed a cardiovascular routine, such as jogging or walking, to increase the strength of the heart.

Diabetes centers can use clinical exercise physiology to help patients manage their disease. Diabetics can suffer from low levels of insulin, hormones that convert sugar in food into energy, which can lead to high blood glucose levels. Exercise therapy can be used to keep blood glucose levels low naturally because exercise burns glucose. Physical activity is also prescribed to diabetics under the supervision of a physiologist to prevent diabetes from worsening in overweight people.

Exercise is also used in health centers to treat orthopedic diseases, such as arthritis or osteoporosis, which inhibit movement in the elderly. Since exercise can be difficult for people with joint pain, exercise physiologists educate patients on how to exercise safely for health benefits without injuring themselves. Exercise physiologists often recommend swimming to minimize impact on joints while still providing the benefits of physical activity.

Clinical exercise physiology can also be applied as a form of therapy for psychological aspects, such as anxiety or depression, that can come with illness. Exercise can increase serotonin levels in the body, which can help relieve stress for those with chronic illnesses. Lowering stress levels can make patients feel better mentally and, in turn, can improve their health.

The ability to motivate patients is an important aspect of clinical exercise physiology. Physiologists work with people who are sick and possibly in pain. Exercise therapy requires a careful balance of scientific knowledge of how best to improve patients’ conditions, along with the motivational skills necessary to encourage them to continue when therapy becomes difficult. For example, a clinical exercise physiologist might meet with a group of hospital patients with various illnesses and prescribe condition-specific exercise routines. He or she then oversees the routines to make sure no one overexerts themselves and worsens their conditions, as well as to keep them motivated to overcome their ailments.

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