Job Kit Exercise Scientist

CAREERS

withSTEM JOB KIT ™

EXERCISE SCIENTIST Improve the health, performance and participation of people, teams and athletes through exercise, training and advice

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Study exercise science If you’re passionate about health, fitness and the science behind human movement, studying exercise science could be the perfect path for you.

and conditioning coach, wellness coordinator or, with further study, an exercise physiologist. There are also opportunities in rehabilitation and research.

Exercise science is a dynamic and rapidly growing field that explores how physical activity, exercise and sport impact health, wellbeing and athletic performance. As an exercise science student, you’ll delve into subjects like anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and nutrition. You’ll learn how to design and implement exercise programs, assess physical fitness and understand the physiological responses to exercise.

Exercise science students often undertake a double degree in less time than it would take to study two degrees. This is a great way to broaden your career options by pairing exercise science with business, nutrition, psychology or secondary education.

Exercise science graduates often pursue further studies in fields like physiotherapy, occupational therapy or sports medicine.

The career opportunities in exercise science are diverse.

You could work as a performance analyst, strength

Empower others to live healthier lives, reach their fitness goals, and take control of chronic conditions.

Find out more acu.edu.au/exercise-science

FOREWORD

Hit the ground running...

kassia beetham SENIOR LECTURER Clinical Exercise physiology

…and enrich the lives of people and communities by becoming an exercise scientist!

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e has the power to xercise and sports scienc person’s quality of significantly enhance a in preventing and ive life. It’s uniquely effect conditions and treating a wide range of st potent tools for mo the of diseases, making it one eing. improving overall wellb man physiology inspired hu h wit My fascination exercise scientist. I am my journey to become an g health by working passionate about optimisin cesses. One of the with the body’s natural pro rking with pregnant highlights of my job is wo Additionally, helping women and new mothers. s like diabetes and individuals with condition ting exercise into their hypertension by incorpora ing. lives is incredibly reward make a real difference in to nt wa If, like me, you an excellent study and people’s lives, then this is ering many impactful career choice for you, off unities. career paths and opport and Sports Science at The Bachelor of Exercise rt. Not only do we have ACU is a great place to sta rs in the field, but ACU some of the best researche ching and learning also boasts a dedicated tea oritise the best learning team, ensuring that we pri ology and hands-on practices, the latest techn practical experiences. ree with experience You will finish your deg rcise testing exe using a range of top-end testing and virtual x ma 2 equipment, such as VO

reality exercise simulatio ns.

We also have established industry partners, from elite sporting organ isations to clinical hospital placements, to pro vide you with practical experiences in real-worl d settings.

The potential to help peo ple and positively change their life trajector y through exercise science is incredibly mo tivating for me. I’m excited to share this Job Kit with you and I hope it will inspire you to explore thi s field.

Kassia Beetham, Senior Lecturer School of Behavioural an d Health Sciences Sports Performance, Re covery, Injury & New Technologies (SPRINT) Research Centre ACU, Brisbane Campus

I love using my knowledge of human physiology to support people”

ney Researcher, University of Syd onic Kidney Disease, ersity Chr Univ and rie dies cise Stu qua nt Mac Exer eme and PhD, Mov an Hum Bachelor of ), University of Queensland – Exercise Physiology (Honours and nsl Quee of ty Universi lecturer, Teaching and research senior Course coordinator, Exercise Science, ACU of ool ogy, Sch siol Phy cise Exer Master of Clinical ACU (Brisbane Campus)

Check out CareerswithSTEM.com for more insights, information, inspiration and advice about exercise scientist careers!

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EXERCISE SCIENTIST

DEEP DIVE

h t i w s e v i l h c i Enr e c n e i c s e s i c r exe Discover where an exercise science study and career path could take you and how you can make a difference to people’s lives

Fact or fiction?

Don’t know loads about exercise scientists? We sort the real from the rumour below!

FACT FACT

There’s demand for more exercise scientists.

ageing NSW Health says Australia’s and for dem the her population may furt 2032 The . ices serv ogy exercise physiol also bring ld cou e ban Bris in es Olympic Gam s lete in Team about opportunities. More ath loyment of Australia could lead to the emp assist in their to ts additional exercise scientis e. training and performanc

CT FA FACT You get lots of practical experience at university, so you’ll be job-ready once you graduate.

Yes, depending on the degree! At ACU, Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science students must complete 25 hours of community engagement and 140 hours of professional experience. ACU students have assisted in coaching athletes, prescribed exercises, performed testing, and assessed and collected data from elite athletes to create reports for athletes and coaches.

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

Exercise scientists only work in fitness centres and gyms.

Nope! If you study exercise and sports science, you could also work in: •N ational, state and local sporting organisations and teams •A cademies of sport on state and national levels •H ospitals and aged care • S chools • P rivate health clinics • C ommunity health clinics • C orporate health and wellness •D efence •N ot-for-profit organisations to promote health and physical activity •A cademia • Y our own small business

fiction FICTION

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

fiction FI CTION

An exercise scientist does the same job as a personal trainer.

No! An exercise scientist is an accredited professional who uses exercise to prevent inju ries and chronic conditions, and implements programs to imp rove health, fitness, sporting performance and wellbeing.

Exercise scientists require uni degrees, while a personal trai ner usually holds a Certificate IV in Fitness or a related area.

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Did you know?

ACU works with a variety of industr y partners like AFL, NR L, A-League clubs, th e Australian Institute of Spor t, Tennis Australia and the NBA in America. Th in k of al l the employer connectio ns you could make!

all the roles lecturer Dr Kassia Beetham, senior School the in r ato rdin and course coo nces Scie lth Hea and l of Behavioura of ety vari a are re the s at ACU, say e and rcis exe for es niti ortu opp career y the sports science graduates, and s: title job could nab the following

• Exercise scientist ng the Your job is to focus on improvi lthy hea of ng lbei wel and health public individuals. You could work in ip. health or sports leadersh

• Sports scientist

ance You’ll enhance athletic perform , as ning ditio con and h ngt stre through not Why well as performance analysis. h Hig of level up with ACU’s Master elite level Performance Sport? Work in lysis. ana nt eme biomechanical mov

• Exercise physiologist

ter After completing a 1.5-year Mas you , ogy of Clinical Exercise Physiol viduals can prescribe exercise for indi er oth or s ase with disabilities, dise ns. complex conditio

study paths

Choose this career if you... ✔ Are passionate about health, wellbeing and/or sports ✔ Like working with and motivating people ✔ Want to help the community and create positive change ✔ Are good at setting and achieving goals ✔ Would like to better understand the human body and continually learn

To work as an exercise scientist, you’ll need a university degree. You’re spoiled for choice at ACU with the following options:

Undergraduate •B achelor of Exercise and Sports Science •B achelor of Exercise and Sports Science (Honours)

Double degrees •B achelor of Exercise and Sports Science/Bachelor of Nutrition Science •B achelor of Psychological Science/ Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science

Postgraduate •M aster of Clinical Exercise Physiology •M aster of High Performance Sport

On the money orts

e and Sp According to Exercis SSA), new graduates Science Australia (E –$79K after can be paid $70K With five years’ leaving university. expect a salary experience, you can while senior of $100K–$119K tists with ien sc exercise and sports mmand co e nc rie 10 years’ expe over $120K.

double up

•G raduate Certificate in Exercise Rehabilitation for Sports Injuries

Interested in combining a passion for teaching or business with health?

A double degree like this could be for you:

•G raduate Certificate in Sports Analytics

Scan here to find out more about these courses

•B achelor of Education (Secondar y)/ Bachelor of Exercise Science • Bachelor of Exercise Scienc e/ Bachelor of Business Administration

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EXERCISE SCIENTIST

REAL PEOPLE

Lifting the bar on research Kade Silverthorne is combining his love of powerlifting with the science behind it – and setting his sights on a career in research

kade silverthorne exercise and Sports Science STUDENT

K

ts since he was 14 ade has been lifting weigh rlifting since 17, so and competing in powe wanted a career it was no sur prise that he science – but he hasn’t in the world of exercise te into uni. followed a traditional rou I didn’t do the HSC or “I was homeschooled, so s. “Instead, I completed get an ATAR,” Kade say ss at 16 and used that a Certificate IV in Fitne to get in!” a sports coaching Kade initia lly enrolled in his rea l interest lay degree but soon rea lised rcise rat her than in the science behind exe fer the science-y hands-on coaching. “I pre s. “So, I switched to side of exercise,” he say ence at ACU and Exercise and Sports Sci haven’t looked back.”

shing From powerlifting to publise-knit

a clo At ACU, Kade has found t’s helped shape tha y nit academic commu n-one attention his ambitions. “The one-o the best part.” from teachers has been

WORDS: GEMMA CHILTON | IMAGES: SUPPLIED

Academia appeals to me. I’ve never wanted to do the same thing every day. ” “It’s helped me do well in my studies and guided me towards the pat h I’m now aiming for,” he say s.

That pat h? A fut ure in aca demia. “I was lucky enough to work with an associate professor through the Undergradu ate Research Internship Scheme, where we wrote a paper related to powerlifting. It’s currentl y under review for publication! That experi ence rea lly solidified tha t research is something I want to pursue.”

Kade plans to continue at ACU with an honours degree and, eve ntually, a PhD. “I’d love to contribute to the scientific literat ure on resistance training biome chanics,” he says.

“I want to research, teach Certificate IV in Fitness, , collaborate Australian Institute and travel – constantly learning and pushing the of Personal Trainers field for ward.”

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Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science, Australian Catholic University

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mma is a senior biomechanist at the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) and the national lead of biomechanics for Australian Athletics. She works with Australia’s top track and field athletes to help them perform at their peak.

Using data and video, she studies how athletes move and helps coaches fine-tune every step, jump and throw.

“High-performance sport is an iceberg – you only see the results, but there’s a huge team working behind the scenes,” she explains.

Emma says her job isn’t a typical 9-to-5-type gig. One day she might be testing athletes at the track, the next she’s crunching data, or even flying overseas for competitions. While no two days are the same, here are some of the cool things you might find her doing:

king “I start the day at the track wor and ads squ key our of with one s coaches here at NSWIS,” say ing test Emma. “That often involves r, and feedback using lase and Optojump, and video to assess e.” niqu tech ’s monitor an athlete Optojump is a sensor system ht that tracks things like jump heig ails det – e tim t tac con und and gro ed too quick to catch with the nak the and a eye. These tools help Emm an e coaching team fine-tun rove athlete’s movements to imp e. their performanc

10am – Data deep dive

to do “Then it’s back to the office review and ing nch cru ber some num ing, test lab , sion ses the er from eith had I ition pet com a or from travelled to on the weekend.”

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1pm – Team check-ins

“A coach or performance team member will often stop by my desk to chat through reports, key thoughts, and feedback, and then plan for the next session.”

4pm – Tech and innovation

“Often in the late arvo, I will check in and connect with others in the network I lead, or other disc ipline leads on key projects. One we are working on at the moment is with our engineering lead at Austral ian Athletics, where we are working on prosthetic blade or wheelch air adjustments.”

6pm – Packing for the next adventure

Emma’s work takes her acro ss Australia and overseas. “The day will often wrap up with packing for either another training session , national camp, competition, or trip,” she says.

Bachelor of Exercise Science (Hons), Australian Catholic University

9am – At the track

PhD in Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University

Senior sport biomechanist, NSW Institute of Sports

es run faster, jump higher let ath top lps he tt lle Mi ma As a biomechanist Em a day at her job looks like! at wh s re’ He . its lim ir the sh and pu

emma millett senior Biomechanist nsw institute of spor t

National lead of biomechanics, Australian Athletics

… n a f o e f li e h t in A day T S I T N E I C S E S I C EXER

EXERCISE SCIENTIST

Electives checklist

ects in Choose these subj t a head ge to Year 11 and 12 stud ies: ur yo start on E ✔ English ✔ PD/H/P ✔ Maths ✔ Biolog y ✔ Chem istr y ✔ Physics

elise martini sports science studen t

Read

Get the job!

Ready to kick off your career in exercise science? Start here:

Get connected a long A little networking can go file pro In way! Create a Linked es: pag and follow these Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA)

exercise and sports The nation’s leading voice on -qualified exercise ree science. They represent deg ians to reach tral Aus t por professionals who sup ls. goa e anc form their health and per

Tennis Australia

in Australia, The governing body for tennis ment. They elop dev from grassroots to elite Open. ian tral Aus the like organise events

ine Sydney West Sports Medic

itation clinic. They have A sports medicine and rehabil Olympics. assisted athletes at multiple l sporting loca r you with t Also connec ional sports organisations or favourite nat across any teams for insights and to stay or job work experience, internship opportunities that come up.

‘Life Lessons You Can Learn with a Course in Sports Science’ – Careers with STEM Eve

ry year, hundreds of ACU stud ents head overseas on community programs. Read about sports science student Elise Martini in Timor Leste and Vanuatu.

level up Make sure your skills in the following areas are sharp:

Listen

 Adaptability

Inside Exercise

rcise Hear from researchers in exe ogy and siol phy e rcis exe , metabolism ’ll love You lth. hea on cts effe e’s exercis with practical their chats that mix science tralian exercise strategies. It’s hosted by Aus McConell. nn Gle metabolism researcher,

 Attention to detail  Communication  Critical thinking

The Performance Hour

the science of sporting Each episode is dedicated to en in sport. It’s an wom performance, focusing on awesome listen!

 Cultural awareness  Empathy

Watch

 Patience

You are what you eat... and how you sleep! (YouTube)

Find out how the science of optimal sleep and nutrition contribute to elite athlete performance.

 Problem-solving  Time management

Human: The World Within (Netflix)

A docu-series where science and personal stories collide to high light the incredible the human bod y.

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This edition was published on 26 May 2025.

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Activate Magazine

This mag by ESSA includes pro files on inspiring people working in exercise and sports science, as well as health, fitness and medical industry news.