There's now an exercise physiologist at Beauty Point Retirement Resort!

Beauty Point Retirement Resort now has an accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) called Veronica Mina who’ll be seeing clients every Thursday at the resort.

Exercise physiology is beneficial for all types of physical ailments and it’s recently been added to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).

Because exercise physiology is now on the MBS, this means your visits to Veronica will be covered by Medicare. However, there are some conditions which apply so to find out more about this, refer to our detailed information at the end of this story.

You may not have heard about exercise physiologists much before. The fact is, exercise physiologists are experts in prescribing the right exercise to help you prevent and manage your chronic disease, helping you recover faster from surgery or an injury and at the same time helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Veronica will be doing her individual sessions in the gym and she may use the pool as well for hydrotherapy.

What makes an Exercise Physiologist different?

If you’re wondering what makes an Accredited Exercise Physiologist different to other exercise professionals, here’s a list of facts to help you out:

• Exercise Physiologists are university qualified.

• They’re eligible to register with Medicare Australia, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and WorkCover and are recognised by most private health insurers.

• They can treat and work with all people. From those who want to improve their health and well being to those with, or at risk of developing, a chronic illness.

• Over the past 10 years, the rate of GP referrals to exercise physiologists for exercise programs has quadrupled in Australia.

• Just over half of the referrals for patients were made under a chronic disease management Medicare item number.

What can Veronica do for you?

Veronica recently visited the Beauty Point Retirement Resort and talked to a room full of interested residents. Her main message was: “Exercise is the best, cheapest, most accessible medicine available.”

She added many people can be living with a chronic condition or injury and they don’t know how to manage it: “You could have a chronic condition such as Diabetes, hypertension or arthritis, but you don’t know there are simple exercises you can do to help you manage it.”

Veronica continued, saying: “An accredited Exercise Physiologist can prescribe you the right exercise to help you recover faster from surgery or an injury.”

By doing exercise physiology sessions with Veronica, she said it’s possible to prevent or manage chronic disease or injury and assist in restoring one’s optimal physical function, health or wellness.

Veronica added that exercise physiologists use evidence based research in all their prevention and management of chronic disease, injury and disability exercise prescriptions.

Here’s a list of the health conditions an accredited exercise physiologist can help you treat and/or manage:

• Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes

• Cardiovascular disease

• Obesity

• Different forms of cancer

• Depression and mental health conditions

• Arthritis and osteoporosis

• Chronic respiratory disease and asthma

• Musculoskeletal injuries

• Neuromuscular disease

• And many more

More about Veronica:

Veronica is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and an accredited member with Exercise Science and Sport Science Australia Organisation (ESSA).

She has a Bachelor of Health Science (Sport and Exercise Science) and Honours in Neurophysiology of ACL injury to prevent knee reconstruction from the Western University of Sydney.

Veronica also holds her Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology from Charles Sturt University and she’s currently completing her PhD in Knee Osteoarthritis.

She currently works as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist at Mega Therapy, a private clinical practice in Sylvania. She has also worked at Waratah Private Hospital in Hurstville.

The benefits of Exercise Physiology include:

• Reduce joint pain and stiffness

• Improve flexibility

• Improve joint and muscular strength

• Increase and maintain bone density

• Improve balance

• Decrease Depression & Fatigue

• Increase Self-Confidence

What are the costs when you see Veronica?

• One on One session with clients in the gym for $80 for one hour

• Group Session in the gym for one hour covered by health fund (No gap)

• Group Session in the hydrotherapy pool for one hour for covered by health fund (No gap)

To be able to take part in a Group Session, you will need to see Veronica for an initial personal consultation so she can see what you need to work on and what type of exercise will be beneficial to you.

During your initial personal consultation, Veronica will ask you questions about your current health and history; carry out a comprehensive assessment; develop your individualised exercise plan; set goals and a plan of action; and then give you an exercise prescription program.

What’s covered under your Medicare & Private Health Cover?

For one-on-one sessions for one hour, the price is $80 and you may be entitled to rebate from your private heath fund. Under Medicare, you’ll be covered if you have a doctors’ referral but there is a gap of $45. Additionally, the doctors’ referral only covers you for five sessions per year with either an Exercise Physiologist, a Physiotherapist or a Podiatrist.

If you have a half hour one-on-one session with Veronica, this is all covered by Medicare but the same limitation of five visits per doctors’ referral remains.

For Group Sessions, the full amount can be claimed under Medicare if you have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Group Sessions can be claimed under your private health fund and there’s no gap.