ABOUT MOVE EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES
Medicare subsidised group classes with Accredited Exercise Physiologists, available in the gym or the pool across Gawler and the Barossa.
Why exercise matters for type 2 diabetes
Exercise is not just a helpful extra alongside your medication. It changes how your body handles glucose, and it is one of the few things that improves several parts of the picture at once.
What exercise does:
- Improves insulin sensitivity
- Helps lower HbA1c
- Builds muscle, which increases glucose storages
- Improves blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiovascular fitness
- Supports weight and waist reduction
- Improves energy, sleep and mood
- May reduce medication needs over time
The catch is that the type, intensity and progression all matter, and that is where working with an Exercise Physiologist is different from joining a gym. We prescribe exercise as treatment, and we adjust it around your medications, your blood glucose responses, your joints and anything else going on.
How the referral works
If you are living with type 2 diabetes, there is a Medicare pathway many people do not know about. It sits on top of the individual allied health visits you already get through your GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, so it does not use up those appointments.
What you are entitled to:
- A separate type 2 diabetes referral. Your GP can refer you specifically for group services, in addition to your existing plan.
- One initial assessment. An individual appointment with one of our Accredited Exercise Physiologists to take your history, talk through your goals and check that group classes are the right fit. One assessment per calendar year.
- Up to eight group classes per calendar year. Once you have been assessed as suitable, you can attend up to eight subsidised group sessions in the same calendar year.
- Gym or pool, your choice. Our group classes run both as gym based sessions and as hydrotherapy classes, and this referral can be used for either.
- Subsidised cost. A Medicare rebate applies to each session, so you pay a reduced out of pocket amount rather than the full class fee.
- Your GP stays informed. We provide a written report back to your referring doctor at the end of your group program.
What our classes look like
Gym based classes focus on strength and conditioning using equipment you will get comfortable with quickly. Expect a mix of resistance work for the major muscle groups and cardio, all supervised and progressed at your pace.
Hydrotherapy classes run in warm water, which takes the load off sore knees, hips and backs. They suit people carrying extra weight, managing arthritis alongside their diabetes, or anyone who finds land based exercise uncomfortable to start with. Plenty of clients begin in the pool and move into the gym as their confidence and capacity build.
Groups stay small so you are supervised properly, and you will be exercising alongside other people managing the same condition. That last part turns out to matter more than most people expect.
What you need to get started: a current GP Chronic Condition Management Plan, and a referral from your GP for type 2 diabetes group services. If you are not sure whether you have one, ask at your next appointment and we help provide you with a referral form.
