Why one in four IP rehabilitation referrals involve exercise physiology
Health & Wellbeing -
In 2025, one in four rehabilitation referrals across TAL’s group IP portfolio was for exercise physiology (EP), making it one of our most referred rehabilitation service categories.1 Those referrals span every age, group and industry – from delivery drivers and police officers to teachers, childcare workers and office-based professionals.
The conditions behind those referrals are just as broad, covering musculoskeletal injuries, mental health conditions, cancer and circulatory conditions such as stroke – all five of the most common reasons for accepted claims across TAL’s portfolio.2 Exercise physiology often forms part of a broader recovery plan alongside services such as vocational counselling, mental health support or cancer care, and return-to-work planning programs coordinated around the member’s individual needs.
Across all these conditions, physical capacity tends to decline during a member’s time on claim, whether through deconditioning, treatment side effects, medication, pain or loss of routine. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that physical inactivity, combined with overweight and obesity, accounts for 9% of total disease burden in Australia, equal to tobacco smoking as the leading risk factor.3
That decline affects more than physical function; it can erode confidence, delay return to work and make it harder for other forms of rehabilitation to gain traction. EP programs are designed to address that underlying loss of capacity, which is why they are often one of the first rehabilitation services introduced as part of a member’s recovery plan.
How exercise physiology supports recovery
Unlike a general fitness program, EP is a structured, evidence-based program designed by an accredited exercise physiologist around the member's specific condition, treatment stage and recovery goals – whether that's lifting their children, returning to a sport or getting back to the activities that matter to them. The aim is to build the confidence and capacity for members to manage their exercise needs independently by the end of their program.
The framework of graded progression, regular review and adjustment stays consistent, but what each program focuses on depends on the individual: restoring movement tolerance after surgery, rebuilding routine and energy during a mental health-related absence or maintaining strength through cancer treatment so the member is in a stronger position when their treatment ends.
Of the members referred to EP in 2025, 70% were completely unfit for work at the time of referral. EP is often introduced when members are at their lowest functional point, helping rebuild the physical capacity that supports the effectiveness of other rehabilitation services.
Research from Monash University found that earlier commencement of physical rehabilitation was associated with significantly shorter disability duration, with members who started after 30 days spending more than four times longer away from work than those who started within the first week.4 While that study focused on workers compensation claims, the principle aligns with what is seen across IP claims: earlier structured rehabilitation is associated with a faster return to work.
Case Study: Rebuilding capacity during cancer treatmentHannah*, 42, was a customer service worker when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her treatment included a double mastectomy, seven months of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation therapy. By the time she was referred to an EP program, she was managing ongoing side effects including fatigue, brain fog, hot flushes, lymphoedema and emotional dysregulation, while working around 20 hours a week. Her program was built around what she could do at home, using her own exercise equipment. Over four supervised reviews, her exercise physiologist helped her establish a graded routine with education on pacing and load management to prevent the boom-bust cycle she had fallen into, pushing too hard on good days and then needing days to recover. Hannah’s goals were specific and measurable: completing a home exercise program three days a week, climbing two flights of stairs without significant breathlessness, and building to 60 minutes of continuous walking daily. Over the course of the program, she progressed from partial hours to full-time work, and her claim was closed. “I wish this was something I started earlier in my recovery.” *Name changed for privacy. |
Hannah's experience reflects what our Claims teams see regularly: when physical capacity is addressed early, members are better positioned to engage with other forms of rehabilitation, maintain their connection to work, and move toward the outcomes that matter to them. For funds, this can translate to shorter claim durations and members who are supported through recovery, not just assessed through it.
How the support is delivered
Four specialist providers deliver EP programs nationally for TAL:
- EXPHYS delivers exercise-based rehabilitation for musculoskeletal, chronic pain conditions, and mental health conditions, with a focus on graded return to physical function and work capacity.
- Specialised Health provides tailored EP and allied health services across mental health, neurological conditions and cancer, with programs designed around individual recovery goals.
- Beyond Pain combines exercise physiology with pain education and self-management strategies for chronic pain and complex musculoskeletal conditions.
- Guardian Exercise Rehabilitation delivers work conditioning and functional exercise programs focused on building the capacity members need to return to their specific role and duties.
To discuss how TAL’s rehabilitation services could support your members, reach out to your Partnership Manager.
1 TAL rehabilitation services data, calendar year 2025. Figures reflect TAL’s group IP portfolio.
2 TAL 2024/25 Life Insurance Claims Paid. Claims statistics based on total number of accepted claims determined to be eligible for payment between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.
3 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Impact of physical inactivity as a risk factor for chronic conditions: Australian Burden of Disease Study. 2017.
4 Monash University / Healthy Working Lives Research Group. Relationship between the timing of physical therapy commencement and the duration of work disability. 2024.
5 Ibid.