Exercise and Sports Scientist
What the work is
Researches and applies the science of exercise to design and deliver physical activity and exercise-based interventions to improve health, fitness, wellbeing and performance, and assist in the prevention of injury and chronic conditions. Provides expert advice and support to coaches, athletes and teams to help them understand and enhance sports performance.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Screens and assesses health, movement, exercise and performance capacity of clients and athletes
- Researches, designs, modifies and applies assessment protocols and methods to analyse the demands of the sport and the capabilities of the athlete
- Records detailed client medical histories, exercise undertaken, and clients' responses and progress
- Researches, designs and delivers physical activity and exercise-based interventions to prevent injury, facilitate return to activity, manage risk factors for chronic conditions, and optimise sports performance
- Supports goal setting and sustainable behaviour change to help individuals achieve health, wellbeing, fitness and performance goals
- Provides health, physical activity and exercise education, advice and support in the context of sports performance
- Delivers exercise-based interventions prescribed by a qualified Health Professional for people with medical conditions, injuries or disabilities
- Develops and implements screening and preventative health promotion programs
- Provides general nutritional advice to enhance exercise performance, recovery and body composition
- Promotes and coordinates policies and programs to increase physical activity, maintain function and decrease sedentary behaviour
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a community health clinic with a small gym room, and a local football club. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A client who was frightened to exercise walks the length of the room without help
- An athlete returns to the field after a long recovery, and you were part of it
- A client says they have started doing their exercises at home without being asked
Hard days
- A client who feels ashamed that they have not done their exercises
- Pressure from a coach or parent to speed up a recovery
- Writing detailed notes for each person while the next one waits
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 262232, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.