Skills
Exercise Physiologist Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in exercise physiologists, and how to build and show them.
What skills do exercise physiologists need?
Exercise Physiologists need technical skills such as exercise testing, ecg monitoring, and exercise prescription, plus people skills like communication and empathy. They also use tools such as Treadmills and cycle ergometers and ECG monitors.
Technical (hard) skills
- Exercise testing
- ECG monitoring
- Exercise prescription
- Physiology
- Patient education
- Data analysis
People (soft) skills
- Communication
- Empathy
- Motivation
- Attention to detail
Tools, equipment and technology
- Treadmills and cycle ergometers
- ECG monitors
- Blood pressure equipment
- Metabolic carts
- Pulse oximeters
- Electronic health records
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how exercise physiologists put their skills to work:
- How to write an exercise prescription
- How to monitor a cardiac rehab session
- How to run a graded exercise test
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Exercise testing” and “ECG monitoring.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “communication,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our exercise physiologist glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Exercise Physiologist training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.