By Kevin McDonald
Not many people go to the gym to exercise their minds, but three University of Sunshine Coast students are doing just that at Jetts Noosaville.
Simon Holden, 39, and Aaron Robottom, 45, are well into their Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology courses, while Jakson Cowley, 23, is studying for a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science.
According to the university’s website, the Clinical Exercise Physiology course teaches graduates “how to use exercise to prevent and manage heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and mental health. It will also train to prevent and manage injuries in sport and recreation”. At the end of their courses, Simon and Aaron will qualify to work in hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation facilities, gyms and more.
Jakson’s course produces exercise scientists who “use the science of human movement to make life more enjoyable and prevent common lifestyle diseases”.
The three are putting their study into practice by working as personal trainers at Jetts.
Simon, who is into the last year of the four-year course, said study benefited his work at the gym.
“Clients get the benefit of the up-to-date learning we get at uni,” he said.
“And we get great feedback from them. Instead of a certificate that takes only a short time to complete, our course is intensive, so much so it leads to other careers in the health industry.”
Simon said he was particularly interested in helping older people stay healthy.
“I believe movement is the key to staying well,” he said.
“Flexibility, strength and balance all fade as we age. We can devise programs that are clinically tested to help older people.”
During the Clinical Exercise Physiology course, students must do 500 hours of supervised work placement. In the final year the focus is on placements in various health settings.
One of Simon’s recent placements was with the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service Cardiac Rehabilitation Service.
“I’m part of a team helping clients who have had cardiac episodes or surgery. This could be heart attacks or after surgery such as stents. It’s opened my eyes to another field in the health industry,” he said.
He said exercise physiology was the second fastest growing field of study in Australia.
“The course and the placements give us the tools for a wide range of career choices. We’re given up-to-date knowledge to pass onto to patients and clients.”
Aaron, who is in the second year of his course, said his focus was on the ideology that “movement is medicine” and that an exercise program from a clinical specialist could have huge health benefits, including reducing medical expenses.
He says: “I got into the fitness industry later in life having already maintained an active life. I watched too many people close to me just stop and become older than they need to be. So I wanted the skills to get people moving again.
“I see the value of my university course every day in the gym as I put new ideas into practice and see results such as weight loss, increased joint mobility and stability, and reduced blood pressure or medicinal needs.”
Aaron has been a personal trainer with more than 10 years’ experience on the Sunshine Coast.
He said his most valued experience was with the Knock Out Parkinson’s Disease boxing program. The disease affects messages the brain sends to the rest of the body, and Aaron said exercise helped increase strength and resistance and improve mobility and balance, and boxing was the perfect exercise for this.
“Ultimately, we have to challenge the brain to respond,” he said.
“This program is special to me and is a key driver to becoming an exercise physiologist and continuing to work towards providing people suffering from this debilitating disease with a better quality of life.”
Jakson is halfway through his third and final year of a bachelor’s degree, with two years’ further study for a master’s in physiotherapy.
Serious injuries ended his semi-professional Australian Football career in Melbourne, but ironically led him to his current field of study.
He says: “I had five knee injuries that needed surgery. My treatment and rehab had me working with sports physios. This opened my eyes to a future career, so I enrolled in my exercise science course with the intention of becoming a physiotherapist specialising in sports rehabilitation.
“My goal is to work with high-level athletes and take them through rehabilitation and return them to their previous levels of performance.”
Jakson puts his study into practice by helping the gym’s clients of all ages and abilities.
“It doesn’t matter how old a person is or what physical shape they are in,” he said.
John Morrall, owner of Jetts Noosaville, said having trainers of the calibre of Simon, Aaron and Jakson strengthened the gym’s offering.
“We pride ourselves on quality team members so we can help achieve results for our members. Therefore the standard of the personal trainer is paramount.
“When you have trainers like these boys you know they will be successful because of their further knowledge and the fact that they upskill themselves to become better trainers.”
