Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health
Exercise Leadership
Exercise Leadership provides a pathway into rewarding careers helping others to enjoy the many benefits of regular physical activity. This specialisation offers an eclectic approach to advanced exercise prescription applications including fitness industry roles, rehabilitation and functional fitness, and health and wellbeing.
You will extend your understanding of the challenges that people in various different situations face when starting and maintaining an active lifestyle.
Depending on your undergraduate qualifications and postgraduate experiences, careers for exercise leaders can be in public health, private and corporate consulting, rehabilitation or employment fitness.
What is Exercise Leadership?
Exercise Leadership focuses on understanding how advanced exercise prescription knowledge and skills can contribute positively to many areas of peoples lives.
Our Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Master programmes include:
- introductory and advanced exercise prescription concepts and practices
- an industry research project
- professional development
- special topics, such as exercise rehabilitation, functional fitness for employment, aging, wellbeing, mental health and fitness industry opportunities.
Our Academic Leader for Exercise Leadership is Phil Handcock
Skills you’ll develop
- Analytical and critical thinking skills
- Critical evaluation of evidence-based literature that informs practice
- Identifying the varying exercise needs of individuals
- Designing and delivering therapeutic exercise interventions to support health improvements
- Interpersonal and interprofessional communication skills
- Decision making and safety
- Leadership
Internship partners
- The Recovery Room (injury rehabilitation services)
Depending on your placement experiences, graduates from the Exercise Leadership specialisation could apply for accreditation with various professional organisations.
Career outcomes
- Employment with public and private health programmes, such as Green Prescription.
- Work with organisations providing functional fitness, health and wellbeing programmes for staff.
- Development of sustainable, bespoke physical activity programmes.
Depending on your postgraduate experiences, Postgraduate Diploma and Master graduates may be eligible to seek accreditation with the New Zealand Register of Clinical Exercise Physiologists (Clinical Exercise Physiologist; CEP) and Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand (Accredited Exercise Physiologist; AEP).
Contact us
If you want to know more about what we offer or you would like some guidance, we’re here to help. Feel free to chat to us directly about any questions you may have.
