Exercise Physiology
Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter Exercise Physiologists
At ATUNE Health Centres our dedicated practitioners provide a range of exercise physiology services for clients located in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Region.
Exercise Physiology identifies the physiological mechanisms underlying physical activity to establish treatment services concerned with the analysis, improvement and rehabilitation of chronic diseases or disabilities as well as the maintenance of good health and fitness.
An exercise physiologist can also provide professional guidance and counsel to athletes and anyone interested in athletics and sports training.
An Accredited Exercise Physiologist is a university qualified allied health professional, who specialises in developing appropriately tailored, graded exercise programs for persons at high-risk of developing, or with existing chronic and complex medical conditions and/or musculoskeletal injuries (such as overweight and obesity, pre-diabetes, diabetes, gestational diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, respiratory diseases, mental health disorders, osteoporosis, cancer, neuromuscular conditions and musculoskeletal injuries or persisting pain).
Our exercise physiology team is committed to providing you with the very best education, support and practical solutions on how to incorporate activity habits into your daily life, with the aim to help you reach your potential as soon and safely as possible.
We understand that changing activity habits is not always easy, so we are here to tackle motivational challenges, guide you through improving your activity habits, and educate you on good technique and the role of exercise in preventing or treating your condition.
You should consider seeing an exercise physiologist if you have any of the following conditions:
Cardiovascular disease/dysfunction
- Heart disease
- Chronic heart failure
- Peripheral vascular diseases
- High blood pressure
Chronic fatigue pathologies
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- HIV/AIDS
- Cancer & cancer treatment
Elderly
- Reduced mobility
- Poor balance
- Falls prevention
- Struggling with activities of daily living
- Declining quality of life
Hormonal dysfunction
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Post Menopause Syndrome
- Hypothyroidism
- Androgen deprivation therapy (prostate cancer)
Maternal health
- Fertility
- Antenatal health
- Postnatal maternal health and well-being
Metabolic disease/dysfunction
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Impaired glucose tolerance/insulin sensitivity
- Diabetes (Types 1 and 2)
- High cholesterol
Musculoskeletal disease/dysfunction
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Postural syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Musculoskeletal Injury Rehabilitation
Neurological
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson's Disease
- Spinal chord injury
- Developmental Coordination Disorder
Psychological
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress
- Stress
Respiratory diseases
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Asthma
We will want to know your medical and activity history so we can appropriately assess your medical and physical capacity, discuss your goals and motivational challenges, then integrate a tailored exercise program into your lifestyle, with simplicity, so we can maximise your health outcomes.
Depending on your medical condition and what you hope to achieve, we may assess your flexibility, range of movement, postural habits, activities of daily living, strength, balance, respiratory fitness, quality of life measures, mental health status and/or heart fitness. This helps us determine your baseline fitness measures and set objective goals to work towards.
We explain the ‘why’ behind exercise, its role in treating or preventing your medical condition. At this point, we determine your goals and work through any motivational challenges. We discuss ‘what’ exercise is best suited to your medical condition and together we set you some activity goals. We will plan the frequency, intensity and time taken to complete each activity. We then negotiate ‘how’ to best integrate this activity into ‘your’ individual lifestyle. The more information you provide us with, the more we can advance your steps towards successfully reaching a healthier mind, body and spirit.
If you are struggling with your activity habits, this is the time to come back and see us, as this is the time when you need us most. We are here to move you toward succeeding in improving your health and activity goals. Never be ashamed to say things aren’t going as planned, we will work through these issues to ensure you get back on track.
No, you can simply phone to arrange an appointment.
If you have a chronic or complex medical condition, it may be to your advantage to discuss your health condition with your GP to see if you are eligible for an enhanced primary care, team care arrangement plan and Medicare rebate for exercise physiology services.
If you are a veteran, and you hold a gold or white card, a D904 referral form from your GP is required for referral and full rebate purposes.
Medicare Rebates
Medicare rebates are available for clients who have an enhanced primary care, team care arrangement plan in place. These rebates are $54.60 and allow you up to 5 visits per calendar year for chronic or complex medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, respiratory conditions and chronic musculoskeletal injuries. For Medicare items, you need to pay at the time of consultation. You can immediately be refunded the rebate provided you have your Medicare card and bank card available. Alternatively, you can visit a Medicare office to claim your rebate. The nearest Medicare offices are located at Charlestown Square or Kotara Westfield shopping centres.
Private Health Rebates
Private health rebates are claimable through most private health funds. The rebate depends on your level of cover and in some cases, can include a full rebate for our services. It is best to check with your insurance provider to see if you are eligible to receive a rebate. We have a health claims system available to claim your private health fund rebate at the time of payment, so conveniently your only out-of-pocket expense is the gap payment.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans do not pay for exercise physiology services if they hold a gold card or a white card. Referral by your GP needs to be provided via a D904 referral form.
Consultation Fees
Initial Assessment Consult $104.55+ GST = $115.00 (60mins)
Standard Consult $83.64+GST = $102.00 (30mins)
We accept cash, EFTPOS and credit cards.
We have HICAPS and easy claim Medicare facilities.
We ask for at least 24 hours notice if you are unable to attend.
A cancellation fee applies if less than 24 hours notice is given. In the event of an emergency or unforeseen circumstances, a cancellation fee will not ensue.
