Exercise Is Medicine

but people won’t take it if it doesn’t taste nice…

“If exercise were a pill, it would be the most widely prescribed medicine in the world”

Covert Bailey

Yet according to Public Health England, physical inactivity is associated with 1 in 6 deaths in the UK, with an estimated to cost the UK £7.4 billion annually[1’. Around 1 in 3 (34%) of men and 1 in 2 (42%) of women are not active enough for good health[1], which not only represents a huge financial burden on the NHS but also millions of people navigating complex challenges with their health. The need for Clinical Exercise Physiologists (CEPs) has never been greater. 

So, what is this strange breed of healthcare professionals?!

Registered CEPs are qualified health professionals proficient in exercise testing, prescription and delivery of evidence-based interventions for the prevention, treatment and long-term management of acute, sub-acute, chronic and complex conditions. Clinical Exercise Physiologists work with patients to optimise health, physical function and quality of life, whilst promoting long-term health through lifestyle modification and behaviour change[2]. You’ll find us in different healthcare and rehabilitation services across sectors and settings and we often work as part of a multidisciplinary team, which may also include doctors, specialist nurses and physiotherapists, across sectors and settings. 

The lack of understanding of the profession as a whole is probably the most frustrating part of my job! Half of my friends think I’m a physio, the other half think I’m some sort of personal trainer for old people. My boyfriend jokes I get paid just to count after hearing me putting people through their reps on Zoom. All jokes aside, there has been huge progress and evolution in the clinical exercise physiology profession in recent years. Much of this is thanks to the continued efforts of Clinical Exercise Physiology UK (CEP-UK), an advisory group of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). Clinical Exercise Physiologists have been able to apply for professional registration with the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) since 2021 and since then, a key focus of CEP-UK’s work has been advocating for the AHCS-registered CEPs to provide equal standing with other registered healthcare professions (which in time will help to quell any rumours that we count squats for a living!).