Exercise Physiology & Personal Wellbeing referrals for NDIS coordinators
Exercise physiology, personal training and wellbeing activities that build strength, mobility and function, and support long-term health.
NDIS registration group: Exercise physiology and personal wellbeing activities
What Exercise Physiology is under the NDIS
Exercise Physiology & Personal Wellbeing is the NDIS registration group covering clinical exercise and physical wellbeing supports. At its centre are Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) — university-qualified allied health professionals accredited with Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) — who assess, design and deliver evidence-based exercise programs for participants whose disability affects their physical function, strength, mobility or long-term health.
The group also covers personal training and personal wellbeing activities: adapted physical activity delivered by qualified trainers, usually following a program an exercise physiologist has designed. Together these supports build strength, balance, endurance and confidence, and help manage the secondary conditions that often accompany disability — deconditioning, weight, cardiovascular health, chronic pain and reduced activity tolerance.
It sits in the Capacity Building — Improved Health and Wellbeing budget. To be funded, the support must be reasonable and necessary and clearly related to the participant's disability; the NDIS does not fund everyday fitness costs anyone would incur, such as a standard gym membership. Sessions can be delivered one-to-one or in a group, in the home, community, a clinic or gym, or via telehealth.
What it covers
- Exercise physiology assessment and clinical exercise prescription by an ESSA-accredited AEP
- Individual, tailored strength, mobility, balance and endurance programs
- Group-based exercise physiology sessions (claimed per participant)
- Adapted personal training following an EP-designed program
- Chronic and secondary condition management — cardiovascular, weight, diabetes, chronic pain
- Falls-prevention, deconditioning and post-injury or post-hospital reconditioning
- Hydrotherapy and aquatic exercise where clinically indicated
- Wellbeing coaching and habit support to sustain regular physical activity
- Home, community, clinic, gym or telehealth delivery
- Written programs and progress reviews for participants and support workers to follow
Who it suits
Refer when a participant's disability affects their physical function, strength, mobility or general health and they need clinically supervised, adapted exercise rather than a mainstream gym — for example, someone reconditioning after injury or a hospital stay, managing chronic pain or a secondary health condition, at risk of falls, or building the fitness that underpins other daily-living goals.
It suits participants across physical, neurological, intellectual and psychosocial disability who benefit from structured, individually prescribed physical activity.
How to refer Exercise Physiology on Novida
On Novida, search verified providers in the Exercise Physiology & Personal Wellbeing group, filtered to your participant's location and delivery preference — in-home, clinic, gym, group or telehealth. Each profile shows whether the provider employs ESSA-accredited exercise physiologists, their registration status and current capacity, so you can shortlist providers who are actually taking referrals before you pick up the phone.
Contact your shortlisted providers directly with a complete referral: participant consent, NDIS number, plan-management type, the relevant line items and budget you're drawing from (Improved Health and Wellbeing), the session frequency and goals, and any clinical context — medical clearances, mobility aids, or the physiotherapist or OT the EP should coordinate with. The more complete the referral, the faster a provider can confirm they're a fit.
Novida is free and never sits in the middle of the referral. The provider responds to you, and the service agreement is made between the provider and participant — you stay the coordinator throughout.
What to check before you refer
- Confirm the provider employs an ESSA-accredited exercise physiologist if you're referring for clinical exercise physiology — personal training can be delivered by a qualified trainer, usually under an EP-designed program, and is a separate line item.
- Check the plan holds funding in Improved Health and Wellbeing (or the relevant Capacity Building budget) and that the exercise support is clearly linked to the participant's disability-related goals.
- For participants with complex, unstable or cardiac-related conditions, check whether GP clearance or an updated medical or allied-health assessment is needed before sessions begin.
Exercise Physiology — NDIS price limits (2026–27)
- Exercise Physiology — $166.99 per hour (12_027_0126_3_3)
- Exercise Physiology in a Group — $47.69 per hour (12_029_0126_3_3)
How it’s priced
Exercise physiology, group exercise physiology and personal training each carry their own price limits in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (formerly the NDIS Price Guide), drawn from the Improved Health and Wellbeing budget. Rates differ by whether the support is delivered by an exercise physiologist or a personal trainer and whether it's one-to-one or group-based, so check the current document for the applicable limits.
Coordinator FAQs — Exercise Physiology
- Which budget funds exercise physiology?
- It's funded from the Capacity Building — Improved Health and Wellbeing budget. Because Capacity Building funding is generally flexible within its support category, a participant can usually direct it to exercise physiology, group sessions or personal training within that budget. Always confirm the plan actually holds Improved Health and…
- Does the provider need to be NDIS registered?
- No — exercise physiology and personal wellbeing don't legally require registration the way behaviour support or SDA do. But plan-management type decides your options: agency-managed (NDIA-managed) participants must use registered providers, while plan-managed and self-managed participants can use registered or unregistered providers.…
- What's the difference between an exercise physiologist and a personal trainer here?
- An Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) is a university-qualified allied health professional accredited with ESSA who assesses and prescribes clinical exercise for disability and chronic conditions. A personal trainer delivers adapted physical activity, typically following a program the EP has designed. They are separate line items at…
- Will the NDIS fund a gym membership or personal training?
- Only where it's reasonable and necessary and clearly linked to the participant's disability — not as an everyday cost anyone would incur. The NDIS generally won't fund a standard gym membership, but it can fund adapted personal training or supervised exercise a participant needs because of their disability. A clear goal, and ideally an EP…
- Does the participant need a GP referral or medical clearance?
- The NDIS doesn't require a GP referral to access exercise physiology. However, for participants with complex, unstable or cardiac-related conditions, it's good practice for the provider to obtain medical clearance before starting, and many will ask for it. Flag any relevant health conditions, medications and mobility aids in your referral…
- Can exercise physiology be delivered in a group or via telehealth?
- Yes. There's a separate group exercise physiology line item, claimed per participant per hour, which can be a cost-effective option for participants who do well in a shared setting. Sessions can also be delivered one-to-one in the home, a clinic, a gym or the community, and via telehealth where clinically appropriate. Filter Novida by the…
- How is this different from physiotherapy?
- Physiotherapy sits under Therapeutic Supports and focuses on diagnosis, hands-on treatment and rehabilitation of injury or impairment. Exercise physiology focuses on prescribing and coaching ongoing, structured exercise to build strength and function and manage chronic and secondary conditions. They complement each other — a participant…
- What should I include in the referral?
- Include participant consent, NDIS number, plan-management type, the line items and budget you're drawing from, session frequency and goals, and clinical context — diagnoses, medical clearances, mobility aids, and any physio or OT the EP should work alongside. Note delivery preference (home, clinic, gym, group or telehealth) and location.…
Related NDIS registration groups
- Therapeutic Supports referrals
- Early Childhood Supports referrals
- Specialist Behaviour Support referrals
- Community Nursing Care referrals
- Improved Relationships & Social Skills referrals
How to check a provider’s credentials
- NDIS Commission provider register — NDIS registration
- How worker screening works — Worker screening
- Make a complaint to the NDIS Commission — Complaints & conduct