Exercise Physiologist

An exercise physiologist uses movement as medicine. You assess how well a person's heart, lungs, muscles, and joints work, then design exercise programs to improve health, manage chronic disease, or recover from illness or injury. A typical day might include fitness testing, monitoring a patient's heart rate during a cardiac rehab session, teaching safe technique, tracking progress, and writing notes for the care team that includes physicians, nurses, and physical therapists. You also teach people how to measure effort, recognize warning signs, and keep going safely when motivation dips.