Step 1: Check your NDIS plan for the right funding
Exercise physiology is funded under Capacity Building — Improved Daily Activities (Support Category 07) or Capacity Building — Improved Health and Wellbeing (Support Category 06). Check your NDIS plan (in the myplace portal or your plan document) to confirm you have a budget in one of these categories.
If you're not sure which category applies or how much budget is available, your support coordinator or plan manager can confirm this quickly. You can also call Exercare and we'll help you work it out.
Not sure if you have the right funding? Many participants have Capacity Building funding but haven't used it for exercise physiology yet. If your plan has Category 07 or 06 budget remaining, you can typically start exercise physiology without waiting for a plan review.
Step 2: Choose your provider
You can choose any NDIS exercise physiology provider that matches your plan management type:
- Plan-managed participants — can use any provider, registered or unregistered. Exercare is an unregistered provider, so plan-managed participants are welcome.
- Self-managed participants — can use any provider. Exercare works with self-managed participants and provides all required invoicing documentation.
- Agency-managed participants — must use NDIS-registered providers only. Exercare is currently unregistered; NDIS registration is on our roadmap.
When choosing a provider, consider: do they come to you or do you travel to them? Do they have experience with your disability type? Can they provide the progress reports needed for plan review?
Step 3: Make contact and complete intake
Contact your chosen provider and complete their intake process. At Exercare this involves:
- Submitting the NDIS intake form on our website — this goes directly into our client management system
- We contact you within one business day to confirm details and arrange your first appointment
- We confirm your plan management type and funding details (or liaise with your plan manager directly if needed)
No referral is required for NDIS exercise physiology — you don't need a letter from your GP or specialist to get started.
Step 4: Your first appointment — the initial assessment
Your first appointment is an initial assessment, not a standard exercise session. Your exercise physiologist will:
- Review your medical history, current medications and any relevant reports
- Discuss your NDIS goals and what you want to achieve from exercise physiology
- Assess your current physical capacity — strength, balance, endurance, mobility
- Identify any precautions or contraindications that affect program design
- Explain what your program will look like and how often you'll meet
The assessment takes approximately 60 minutes. For Exercare clients, this happens at your preferred location — your home, a gym, a hydrotherapy pool, or outdoors.
Step 5: Your ongoing program begins
Following the assessment, your EP designs your personalised program and your regular sessions begin. What this looks like depends on your goals and disability — but typically involves weekly or fortnightly supervised sessions plus a home program to complete between appointments.
Your EP records progress notes after each session. These are available to you and can be shared with your support coordinator, plan manager or treating team.
For support coordinators: Exercare can liaise directly with you and the participant's plan manager throughout the process. We provide intake confirmation, progress notes and formal progress reports for plan reviews. Contact us at admin@exercare.com.au to discuss referrals.
Ready to start NDIS exercise physiology with Exercare?
We come to you across south-east Melbourne — no travel required. Complete our NDIS intake form and we'll be in touch within one business day.
Step 6: Plan review — using your EP progress report
When your plan review approaches, your exercise physiologist provides a progress report documenting:
- Baseline capacity at the start of the plan period
- Measurable outcomes achieved (strength, balance, endurance, functional tasks)
- NDIS goals addressed and progress made
- Recommended hours and frequency for the next plan period
- Clinical rationale for continued or adjusted funding
A well-written EP progress report is one of the most effective pieces of evidence for maintaining or increasing Capacity Building funding at plan review. Exercare provides progress reports for plan reviews at no additional charge — contact us at least two weeks before your review date.
Frequently asked questions
How many sessions will I get?
There is no set number — it depends on your plan budget. Your EP will recommend a frequency at your initial assessment (typically weekly or fortnightly) and the total number of sessions is determined by how much Capacity Building budget you have available.
What if my plan runs out of budget mid-year?
Contact your support coordinator or plan manager as soon as you notice the budget running low. An EP progress report can support a request for an unscheduled plan review to increase funding if there is clear clinical need.
Can I use exercise physiology alongside other allied health supports?
Yes — exercise physiology works alongside physiotherapy, OT, speech pathology and other supports. Exercare's EPs will coordinate with your other providers where helpful.
This article was written by the Exercare team. Exercare provides mobile NDIS exercise physiology across south-east Melbourne for plan-managed and self-managed participants. Start your NDIS intake →