I couldn’t walk without severe pinching pain. I took loads of Voltaren to help reduce pain, but nothing really worked. I then went to AAMI Park Sports Medicine and saw a Sports Physician – I was then diagnosed with SIJ Pain. I then started a plan with one of their physios to fix the problem.  After much frustration and a sheer fluke of a phone call one evening calling my gym, I was recommended to see Eliza, Accredited Exercise Physiologist. After my first consultation with Eliza, I knew this person would help me, give me the tools and programs to fix this issue, to beat this, and to hopefully one day return to what I loved most – running.

I worked slowly with floor exercises developing glute and core strength. Eliza identified other issues within my upper and lower back that no one had previously picked up.  I admit it was tedious…at times I went crazy, but I was seeing improvement, my pain was manageable and slowly fading. Over the course of 12-18months, I slowly built strength, building up to heavy weights on the gym floor – squats, lunges, deadlifts, strengthening my upper and lower back, which were also contributing to my issues.

Without Eliza’s help and guidance, I would not be where I am today.  I was back to running after 12 months, I now understand my body and how it works in relation to exercise, the importance of resistance exercise and why we should be doing weights and I am 100% fully rehabilitated.

Eliza taught me how to push past certain levels of pain to actually gain a positive outcome and achieve the results I wanted.  Eliza’s knowledge is mind-blowing.  I have seen so many varying therapists over the years, not just for SIJ issues, but other pain related problems. Eliza is the only person I will ever trust or seek advice from.  In my opinion, Physio’s have limited knowledge and limited techniques to treat conditions like this.  Progression is slow and not targeted enough.

She is smart beyond belief, but practical. She will not just focus on the specific area of pain, but the entire body and what is going on to create the pain.

I am delighted to provide this testimonial for Eliza and her practice.

I first contact Eliza in 2013.  I had suffered from chronic neck issues for a number of years.  I regularly consulted an osteopath and had manipulation of my cervical spine on a very regular basis to alleviate my symptoms of pain and headaches.

I had never worked out in a gym before and had no experience of how to use the various machines and equipment available to me.  Eliza worked calmly and patiently with me to steadily improve my strength and flexibility with particular attention to the way I did the exercises – her focus was not about “how many” or “how heavy” but about doing things correctly first, before adding weight or repetitions.  This meant that I learnt how to do the exercises properly for when I was doing them alone.  Eliza taught me how to “turn on” the correct muscles and relax those that I had been overloading, thus causing many of my neck issues.  I became much stronger, improved my posture and strengthened my core muscles.  As a direct consequence of the work with Eliza, whilst I still visit an osteopath, the average time between the need for manipulation is now around 6-9 months rather than 3-4 weekly.  I almost never get a neck cause headache now.

In August 2014 I had a total knee replacement.  In the 3-4 months prior to this surgery, Eliza worked with me in a “prehab” role to help me prepare for the surgery.  Again, she focused on making sure I was doing things properly and giving me the confidence and knowledge to continue to work on my preparation for surgery while I was away on an eight week holiday.  She also worked with me following my immediate rehabilitation post surgery.  Again, the outcomes have been excellent with my knee being strong and functional.

I cannot recommend Eliza highly enough for anyone requiring assistance with musculoskeletal or other health issues.  I had tried many different practitioners of different types to assist me but there is no doubt that it was Eliza’s work with me that made the difference.  I have watched Eliza dealing with some elderly people with very limited mobility and have been impressed with her compassion and support.

Three years ago, I had a frozen shoulder. I suffered pain in my shoulder and back for so many months. I had cortisone injections that didn’t help me until I finally when to an Osteopath who gave me a different treatment that worked on me. He asked me to make an appointment with a physiotherapist and I did. It helped me a little bit but not enough to go back to my normal activities. I decided then to go to Eliza at the gym where I used to go to. I didn’t know what a Physiologist was until I went to her. She explained to me that the program she created for me would help me to strength the muscles in my shoulder and back.

I started with a weight program carrying just 0.5kg and now I am able to carry 12.5kg. I truly feel like another person, not only because my pain is nearly gone, but it gave me the opportunity to discover how good it feels to exercise and the advantages, not only physically, but emotionally that exercise brings to the body. I was scared to do any exercise, but trusting Eliza, who made me feel confident and safe, I was able to overcome my own fears.

Eliza is a professional who I trust 100%.  She takes the time to explain your program and she makes sure you do it correctly. I have referred many of my friends to her because I am confident of her professionalism. All my friends are extremely happy with their own programs.

An Exercise Physiologist will help anyone who is recovering from an injury and I would tell anyone about their work.

Thank you, Eliza, for your care and professionalism.

I first contacted Eliza to see if she could help me with my neck pain and headaches. I was routinely seeing the Osteopath, which would give me some relief for a few days, but then my pain would return. Eliza analysed my posture and highlighted some muscle imbalances and tight spots which may have been contributing to my headaches. She corrected my exercise program to target the areas which were weak and also taught me how to use the foam roller and spikey ball to massage the tight spots on my own. Four months on and I can’t remember the last time I had a headache. I feel much stronger in my posture and I am thankful for how Exercise Physiology was able to help me.

I would recommend Exercise Physiology not only to people with injuries, but anyone who would like to improve their posture and wellbeing.

Before I began exercising, I lacked motivation and positive emotions. However, after I began exercising, it felt as if the world had regained its colour. It inspired me to do things I never would have done before.

Exercise has made me feel physically healthier by making me feel more energised and stronger. Exercise has made me feel mentally healthier by making me determined to try new things.

Eliza helped me greatly with my physically and mental wellbeing. I attended weekly/fortnightly sessions with Eliza to assist with posture and including headaches and knee pain and to build muscles to support my body. I found her approach and style was really effective with me and I really enjoyed my sessions each week. Another huge benefit of my exercise physiology sessions was the positive impact it had on the management of my anxiety. I would recommend Eliza to anyone looking to make a lifestyle change – she is incredibly supportive, caring and knowledgeable and always takes great interest in my overall wellbeing.

I’ve recently turned 50 and being an ongoing patient of Eliza has been literally lifesaving for me. I have been seeing Eliza since June 2014, after an acute, back spasm, in my lower back incapacitated me and I needed help to continue improving my back health.

Generally I am fit, however I have poor flexibility due to the fact that I have chronic, ongoing genetic/skeletal issues with my neck, lower back, hips and knees, with a bit of arthritis and Eliza, with the use of any scans/MRI’s/x-rays or feedback from the Physio sets me programs to assist with my recovery.

The reason I started seeing an Exercise Physiologist was due to the fact that the Physio had “got me to a point”, but I required an ongoing movement/program set for me. Eliza was based at my Gym and this enabled me to continue attending the gym, keeping strong and as flexible as possible.

More recently we have discovered my rotator cuffs have been quite affected, triggered by recent gardening, the scans also showed I have spurs, which aggravated my recovery. I’m nearly at the point of finishing with the Physio and will follow up with a new program with my “Exercise Physiologist” (Eliza) to continue my recovery, knowing that she always adjusts exercises to accommodate my body/joint health issues and help continue to keep me as active as possible.

I came into the gym as a complete beginner, having done little more than treadmill jogging and occasional cycling. My fitness was OK, but I needed strength training. Eliza started me out on the basic machines and has guided me through the various different exercises, mainly focusing on upper body strength. The specific talent that Eliza has demonstrated as an exercise physiologist that sets her apart from a personal trainer is the correlation between the different muscle groups and how the different exercise machines actually work together to strengthen complementary muscles. She combines different exercise styles, customised for my individual capabilities, to develop the specific areas I needed.  Her manner is extremely compassionate, deeply understanding and insightful as she gives tips on how to improve posture, form and technique to derive the maximum benefit of the exercises. This enables her to inspire and motivate her clients. Eliza has kept detailed records of my exercises throughout the journey and gradually increased the intensity of the workout regime in line with my physical progress and development. Overall Eliza has been an extremely professional and competent exercise physiologist and I look forward to working out under her guidance for many years to come.

2013 – Super morbidly obese at 140 kg on 4ft 9” height. Diabetic and on medication, clinical depression on medication, fatty liver disease, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea with CPAP treatment, chronic digestive problems with chronic pain. No physical fitness, endurance, or strength. Used a mobility scooter and needed personal assistance. Very poor quality of life and participation.

2017 – 103 kg, lost 37 kg. No longer diabetic. No longer clinically depressed. Fatty liver enzymes have come right down to almost normal. Cholesterol in normal range. Sleep apnoea resolved. Chronic digestive pains resolved. No longer use mobility scooter and I can do everything for myself again. Quality of life and participation has greatly improved. Easily walk 10,000 steps per day, every day. I now have visibly defined and toned muscles.

Since early 2000 I have utilised several different Exercise Physiologist’s however none of them were able to help me achieve the results I have gained with Eliza. I highly recommend everyone to use an EP of Eliza’s calibre to gain the benefits they desire.