Northern Health’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Department and Wellbeing Team are excited to announce the launch of the staff Exercise Physiology Service.

This new Staff Health Clinic is an expansion to the successful staff physiotherapy service. With the health and wellbeing of staff in mind, it is aimed at promoting a culture of fitness and increased physical activity at Northern Health.

Exercise Physiologists specialise in clinical exercise prescription and the delivery of lifestyle modification programs for the prevention and management of chronic disease, musculoskeletal injuries and improved wellbeing. “We all know that being physically active is essential for good physical and mental health and wellbeing, but unfortunately more than half of us are not active enough” says Dylan Perera, Exercise Physiologist, who leads the clinic.

The Staff Health Clinic – Exercise Physiology, is a short-term service. Staff will be provided with up to a maximum of six visits over a period of approximately 12 weeks, with an ESSA (Exercise and Sports Science Australia) Accredited Northern Health Exercise Physiologist. As well as face-to-face appointments, telehealth modalities, including video call, are available.

Dylan says, “You will have a thorough and comprehensive assessment to evaluate your needs, goals, and physical fitness. Then we provide you with a tailored exercise plan as well as support and health coaching for the long-term.”

For staff to access this service, they must:

• be a Northern Health employee (full time, part time, casual)
• have goals of increasing exercise and physical activity levels
• and/or need support with exercise behaviour or healthy lifestyle change
• and/or have a stable chronic medical condition that would benefit from Clinical Exercise Physiology interventions
• and/or may be referred from Staff Health Clinic Physiotherapist to progress musculoskeletal rehabilitation, promote secondary prevention, or address other health and wellbeing goals.

Dylan has worked at Northern Health since 2014, and has vast clinical experience in community therapy services, having worked in outpatient clinics across our sites. He is passionate about exercise physiology and believes strongly in the significant role it plays in impacting the health and wellbeing of the community, which also extends to Northern Health staff.

“We’ve all done an incredible job to contribute to the delivery of excellent patient care during unprecedented challenges over the past two and a half years. However, it’s important that we also prioritise our own health” explained Dylan.

The Staff Health Clinic will run Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Northern Hospital Epping. There is no cost for the service.

Staff members can make their own referral by completing the Terms of Service form and returning to staffexphys@nh.org.au

Importantly, the service is not exclusively for ‘gym people’. Dylan points out that “high quality exercise training can be achieved in various different settings, including at home.”

In addition to one-on-one appointments, the service will also establish site-wide health promotional activities, such as campaigns to reduce sustained periods of sitting, on-site exercise classes, and post and pre-work walking/running groups.

For more information, visit the Intranet page here.

Picture shows Dylan instructing a staff member.