Occupation · SOC 29-1128
Exercise Physiologists
Assess, plan, or implement fitness programs that include exercise or physical activities such as those designed to improve cardiorespiratory function, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, or flexibility.
Median wage
$58,160
$40,930–$79,830
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
8,110
Job Zone 4
Typical preparation
Considerable preparation
Stackable credential programs
493 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionInstructingSpeakingCritical ThinkingActive ListeningWritingMonitoringSocial Perceptiveness
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceMedicine and DentistryEducation and TrainingTherapy and CounselingEnglish Language
Technology & tools
Electronic mail softwareMedical softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwarePresentation software
Representative tasks
Develop exercise programs to improve participant strength, flexibility, endurance, or circulatory functioning, in accordance with exercise science standards, regulatory requirements, and credentialing requirements.Provide emergency or other appropriate medical care to participants with symptoms or signs of physical distress.Demonstrate correct use of exercise equipment or performance of exercise routines.Recommend methods to increase lifestyle physical activity.Interpret exercise program participant data to evaluate progress or identify needed program changes.Prescribe individualized exercise programs, specifying equipment, such as treadmill, exercise bicycle, ergometers, or perceptual goggles.Provide clinical oversight of exercise for participants at all risk levels.Explain exercise program or physiological testing procedures to participants.Interview participants to obtain medical history or assess participant goals.Assess physical performance requirements to aid in the development of individualized recovery or rehabilitation exercise programs.Teach behavior modification classes related to topics such as stress management or weight control.Conduct stress tests, using electrocardiograph (EKG) machines.Measure oxygen consumption or lung functioning, using spirometers.Educate athletes or coaches on techniques to improve athletic performance, such as heart rate monitoring, recovery techniques, hydration strategies, or training limits.Evaluate staff performance in leading group exercise or conducting diagnostic tests.Teach group exercise for low-, medium-, or high-risk clients to improve participant strength, flexibility, endurance, or circulatory functioning.Calibrate exercise or testing equipment.Teach courses or seminars related to exercise or diet for patients, athletes, or community groups.Measure amount of body fat, using such equipment as hydrostatic scale, skinfold calipers, or tape measures.Mentor or train staff to lead group exercise.Perform routine laboratory tests of blood samples for cholesterol level or glucose tolerance.Supervise maintenance of exercise or exercise testing equipment.Present exercise knowledge, program information, or research study findings at professional meetings or conferences.Order or recommend diagnostic procedures, such as stress tests, drug screenings, or urinary tests.Plan or conduct exercise physiology research projects.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Basic exercise science principles — apply under direct supervision when assisting with program development for low-risk participants in a clinical fitness setting.Exercise equipment and routine demonstrations — perform following established protocols under the guidance of a senior exercise physiologist in a supervised rehabilitation facility.Participant intake forms and medical history data — review and summarize under supervision to support individualized exercise program planning in a clinical environment.Standard exercise testing procedures — explain to participants using clear, accessible language under the direction of a credentialed supervisor in a wellness center.Lifestyle physical activity recommendations — deliver using evidence-based guidelines under close oversight when working with apparently healthy adults in a community health program.Vital signs and common distress indicators — recognize and report promptly to supervising clinicians during monitored exercise sessions in a cardiac rehabilitation setting.Spreadsheet and medical software tools — use to enter and organize participant exercise data under guidance from a senior clinician in a hospital-based fitness program.Exercise program progress notes — draft in standardized formats following department templates under supervision in a clinical or corporate wellness setting.Regulatory and credentialing requirements for exercise programming — identify and reference when assisting with program design under senior practitioner direction.Active listening and social perceptiveness skills — apply when gathering participant feedback on exercise tolerance and comfort during entry-level supervised fitness assessments.
developing
Individualized exercise programs — design and implement for low- to moderate-risk participants with limited oversight, aligning with exercise science standards in an outpatient clinical setting.Treadmill, ergometer, and exercise bicycle protocols — prescribe and adjust for participants based on fitness assessment data in a cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation program.Participant progress data — interpret using spreadsheet and medical software tools to evaluate program effectiveness and recommend routine adjustments in a hospital wellness department.Emergency response procedures — execute independently, including appropriate first-aid and activation of emergency protocols, when participants show signs of physical distress during exercise sessions.Exercise physiology testing procedures — explain and administer to participants across a range of fitness levels, ensuring informed consent and procedural clarity in a clinical outpatient environment.Lifestyle physical activity strategies — recommend and tailor to individual participant needs and barriers during routine counseling sessions in a community health or corporate wellness setting.Clinical oversight of exercise sessions — provide for participants at varied risk levels, monitoring physiological responses and adjusting workloads within established protocols in a supervised facility.Participant education materials — develop and deliver using presentation and word processing software to reinforce exercise adherence in a structured wellness or rehabilitation program.Deductive and inductive reasoning — apply when analyzing participant assessment results to identify patterns and modify exercise prescriptions in a clinical fitness environment.Interdisciplinary care team communications — coordinate with physicians, physical therapists, and dietitians through written and verbal channels to support integrated participant care in a healthcare setting.
proficient
Comprehensive exercise programs — develop and refine autonomously for participants across all risk stratifications, incorporating current evidence and regulatory standards in a tertiary-care or specialty clinic.Complex participant data sets — analyze using advanced medical and spreadsheet software to evaluate longitudinal progress trends and drive evidence-based program modifications in a clinical research or hospital environment.Non-routine clinical presentations — assess and manage independently, applying critical thinking and judgment to adapt exercise prescriptions for participants with comorbid conditions in a medical fitness facility.Full-scope clinical oversight — maintain for high-risk populations including cardiac, pulmonary, and metabolic disease patients, ensuring safety and efficacy throughout exercise sessions in a credentialed rehabilitation program.Individualized exercise equipment selection — prescribe with precision, including specialized devices such as perceptual goggles and recumbent ergometers, based on functional capacity testing in an advanced clinical setting.Systems-level evaluation of exercise program outcomes — conduct by integrating participant data, program metrics, and health system goals to identify quality improvement opportunities in a hospital-based wellness department.Advanced exercise physiology consultations — provide autonomously to referring physicians and allied health professionals, communicating technical findings clearly in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic.Evidence-based lifestyle physical activity interventions — design and implement for diverse populations, addressing behavioral and motivational factors using counseling techniques in a chronic disease management program.Formal written clinical reports and program documentation — produce at a high standard for regulatory, credentialing, and institutional review purposes in a healthcare or research environment.Active learning and learning strategies — apply continuously to integrate emerging exercise science research into clinical practice across the full scope of an exercise physiology caseload.
advanced
Organizational exercise physiology program strategy — set and champion at the department or system level, aligning program goals with institutional health outcomes and accreditation standards across multiple clinical sites.Clinical oversight frameworks for all risk levels — architect and implement organization-wide, establishing protocols that ensure participant safety and regulatory compliance in a large healthcare or integrated wellness system.Junior and mid-level exercise physiologists — mentor, supervise, and formally evaluate to build departmental competency and advance evidence-based practice in a hospital or academic health center.Cross-functional health system initiatives — lead by collaborating with medicine, nursing, administration, and community health teams to design population-level physical activity programs in an integrated care network.Exercise physiology practice standards — develop and disseminate through policy writing, professional committee participation, and institutional guideline authorship to influence practice at a regional or national level.Complex systems analysis of participant outcomes and program efficacy — conduct and translate into executive-level reports and strategic recommendations for health system leadership and funding stakeholders.Curriculum and training programs for clinical exercise physiology staff — design and deliver using advanced instructional design principles to ensure workforce readiness across a multi-site healthcare organization.High-stakes emergency and adverse-event response policies — author and enforce, drawing on deep clinical judgment and regulatory knowledge to protect participants and institution in all exercise program environments.Research and quality improvement projects — lead from conception through dissemination, applying advanced critical thinking and systems evaluation to generate knowledge that advances the exercise physiology profession.Organizational adoption of emerging technologies and tools — drive by evaluating novel medical software, wearable monitoring systems, and diagnostic equipment, then guiding implementation across clinical exercise programs at enterprise scale.
Also known as
37 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Aerospace and Operational Physiology (Air Force 4M0X1)Aerospace and Operational Physiology Apprentice (Air Force 4M031)Aerospace and Operational Physiology Craftsman (Air Force 4M071)Aerospace and Operational Physiology Helper (Air Force 4M011)Aerospace and Operational Physiology Journeyman (Air Force 4M051)Aerospace and Operational Physiology Superintendent (Air Force 4M091)Applied Exercise PhysiologistBariatric Weight Loss CounselorCardiac Exercise PhysiologistCardiac Exercise SpecialistCardiac Rehabilitation Exercise PhysiologistCertified Exercise Physiologist (EPC)Clinical Exercise PhysiologistClinical Exercise SpecialistCommand Fitness Leader (CFL) (Navy 8CFL)Exercise PhysiologistExercise PlannerExercise ScientistExercise SpecialistFitness SpecialistForce Fitness Instructor (Marine Corps 0919)Injury Prevention SpecialistKinesiotherapistLifestyle and Weight Management ConsultantMedical Specialist Corps Officer (Army 65)Physical Therapist (Air Force 42B1)Physical Therapist (Air Force 42B3)Physical Therapist (Air Force 42B4)Physical Therapist (Air Force 42BX)Physical Therapist (Navy 0873)Physical Therapist, Special Warfare (Air Force 42B1Z)Physical Therapist, Special Warfare (Air Force 42B3Z)Physical Therapist, Special Warfare (Air Force 42B4Z)Physical Therapy (Army 65B)Registered Clinical Exercise PhysiologistSports PhysiologistUSMA, Professor of Physical Education (Army 47S)