Description of Exercise Physiologist: How This Role Compares to Art Therapists and Anesthesiologist Assistants

Why a Description of Exercise Physiologist Matters More Than You Think

If you've been researching healthcare careers that blend science with hands-on patient interaction, you've probably stumbled across the exercise physiologist role — and maybe wondered how it stacks up against other lesser-known but fascinating paths like art therapy or anesthesiologist assisting. I've spent years helping healthcare job seekers on healthcareers.app navigate exactly these kinds of decisions, and one thing I've noticed is that people rarely evaluate a single career in isolation. They compare. They weigh options. They want to know what daily life actually looks like before committing to years of education.

So in this post, I'm going to give you a thorough description of exercise physiologist — what the role entails, who it serves, and what the career trajectory looks like — and then I'm going to do something a little different. I'll compare it side-by-side with two other distinctive healthcare careers: art therapy and anesthesiologist assisting (with a specific look at the California pathway for that last one). By the end, you'll have a much clearer sense of which direction fits your strengths, interests, and lifestyle goals.

A Complete Description of Exercise Physiologist: The Role, the Science, the Impact

What Does an Exercise Physiologist Actually Do?

An exercise physiologist develops and implements fitness and exercise programs designed to help patients recover from chronic diseases, improve cardiovascular function, and manage conditions like diabetes, obesity, and pulmonary disease. Unlike a personal trainer at a gym, an exercise physiologist works within clinical settings — hospitals, cardiac rehabilitation centers, physician offices, and outpatient clinics — applying evidence-based exercise science to medically complex populations.

Here's what a typical day might include:

• Patient assessments: Conducting stress tests, measuring VO2 max, analyzing body composition, and evaluating a patient's baseline fitness.
• Program design: Creating individualized exercise prescriptions that account for a patient's medical history, medications, and physical limitations.
• Monitoring: Supervising patients during exercise sessions, tracking heart rate, blood pressure, and perceived exertion in real time.
• Education: Teaching patients about the physiological mechanisms behind their recovery — why aerobic exercise helps post-cardiac surgery, for instance, or how resistance training supports bone density in osteoporosis patients.
• Collaboration: Working alongside cardiologists, pulmonologists, physical therapists, and registered dietitians as part of a multidisciplinary care team.

Education and Certification Requirements

Most exercise physiologist positions require at minimum a bachelor's degree in exercise science, kinesiology, or a closely related field. Many employers prefer or require certification through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), specifically the ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP) credential. Some clinical positions, particularly in cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation, may favor candidates with a master's degree or additional certifications like the ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP).

Licensure requirements vary by state. Some states have no formal licensure process, while others require registration or specific credentials. I always recommend candidates check their state's health department website for the most current regulatory requirements.

Career Outlook and Work Settings

The Bureau of Labor Statistics categorizes exercise physiologists within a growing segment of the healthcare workforce. While it's a smaller occupation compared to nursing or physical therapy, demand has been rising steadily as healthcare systems increasingly emphasize preventive care, chronic disease management, and lifestyle medicine. Exercise physiologists work in hospitals, outpatient care centers, fitness facilities with medically supervised programs, universities, and corporate wellness programs.

One aspect I find candidates often overlook: exercise physiology is one of the few healthcare careers where you can genuinely see patients transform over weeks and months. You're not treating acute episodes — you're guiding long-term behavioral change. That's deeply rewarding for the right personality type.

The Art Therapist Career: A Creative Counterpoint

What Makes Art Therapy Different

Now, here's where the comparison gets interesting. If you've been researching the art therapist career alongside exercise physiology, you're probably someone who values holistic, patient-centered care but isn't sure whether your calling is physical or psychological — or maybe both.

Art therapists use creative processes — drawing, painting, sculpting, collage — as therapeutic tools to help clients process emotions, reduce anxiety, manage trauma, and improve cognitive function. It's a mental health discipline, not a fine arts career, and art therapists work in psychiatric hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, hospice programs, veterans' facilities, and private practice.

Education and Credentialing for Art Therapists

The art therapist career path requires a master's degree in art therapy or a related counseling field with specialized art therapy coursework. After completing a graduate program approved by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), candidates pursue the Registered Art Therapist (ATR) credential and can later become Board Certified (ATR-BC) by passing a national examination. Many states also require a separate counseling license, which adds supervised clinical hours to the timeline.

This means the educational investment for art therapy is typically greater than for exercise physiology at the entry level — you're looking at six to seven years of post-secondary education and supervised experience before you're fully credentialed.

Comparing the Two Roles

Here's a quick comparison that I think clarifies the decision for many candidates:

• Patient population: Exercise physiologists primarily serve patients with physical health conditions (cardiac disease, diabetes, COPD). Art therapists primarily serve clients with mental health conditions (PTSD, anxiety, depression, developmental disorders).
• Therapeutic medium: Movement and physiological data versus creative expression and psychological processing.
• Entry-level education: Bachelor's degree for exercise physiology; master's degree for art therapy.
• Work environment: Exercise physiologists tend toward hospitals and outpatient clinics. Art therapists work in a wider range of settings, including schools and community organizations.
• Autonomy: Art therapists in private practice can enjoy significant autonomy. Exercise physiologists typically work under physician oversight in clinical settings.

Both careers are deeply relational — you're building therapeutic alliances with real people over time. But the tools and the populations differ substantially.

How to Become an Anesthesiologist Assistant in California: A Surprising Third Path

What Is an Anesthesiologist Assistant?

Let me shift gears entirely. If you've also been researching how to become an anesthesiologist assistant in California, you're considering a career that operates at a very different intensity level than either exercise physiology or art therapy. Anesthesiologist assistants (AAs) work directly under the supervision of anesthesiologists, helping administer anesthesia during surgical procedures, monitoring patients' vital signs intraoperatively, and managing airways and ventilation. It's a high-acuity, high-stakes clinical role.

The California Complication

Here's the reality I want to be upfront about: California is one of the more complicated states for aspiring anesthesiologist assistants. As of my most recent knowledge, California does not have a specific licensure or practice authority framework for AAs the way some other states do. The state relies heavily on Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in the anesthetist role, and legislative efforts to authorize AA practice in California have historically faced significant opposition from nursing organizations.

This doesn't mean it's impossible, but candidates interested in how to become an anesthesiologist assistant in California need to understand the regulatory landscape before committing to this path. Here's what I recommend:

1. Complete the prerequisites: AAs typically need a bachelor's degree with strong science coursework (organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, advanced biology) plus clinical experience — often as EMTs, respiratory therapists, or in another hands-on healthcare role.
2. Attend an accredited AA program: These are master's-level programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). As of now, accredited programs are concentrated in states that already authorize AA practice, such as Georgia, Ohio, Missouri, Colorado, and others.
3. Pass the national certification exam: Graduates sit for the certifying examination administered by the National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA) to earn the AA-C credential.
4. Monitor California legislation: If practicing in California specifically is your goal, stay actively engaged with advocacy organizations like the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAAA) and track any pending legislation that would authorize AA practice in the state.
5. Consider practicing in a neighboring state first: Some candidates train and begin their careers in states with established AA practice authority and then advocate for — or wait for — California to follow suit.

How This Compares to Exercise Physiology

The contrast here is stark. Exercise physiologists work with conscious patients doing low-to-moderate-intensity physical activity. Anesthesiologist assistants work with unconscious patients in operating rooms. The education is more intensive for AAs (master's degree with significant clinical rotations in surgical anesthesia), the compensation is substantially higher, and the stress level is categorically different.

I bring up this comparison because I see candidates on our platform who are broadly interested in "allied health" but haven't yet narrowed their focus. Understanding the full spectrum — from the rehabilitative pace of exercise physiology to the acute-care intensity of anesthesia — helps you locate yourself on that continuum.

Which Career Path Is Right for You? A Decision Framework

After working with thousands of healthcare job seekers through healthcareers.app, I've found that the right career choice usually comes down to three fundamental questions:

• What kind of patient interaction energizes you? Long-term therapeutic relationships (exercise physiology, art therapy) versus acute, high-intensity procedural care (anesthesiologist assisting)?
• How much education and training are you willing to invest? A bachelor's degree can get you started in exercise physiology. Art therapy and anesthesiologist assisting both require master's-level training.
• Where do you want to live and practice? If California is non-negotiable, the anesthesiologist assistant path presents unique regulatory hurdles that the other two careers do not.

There's no objectively "best" career among these three. There's only the best fit for your specific combination of intellectual interests, emotional temperament, geographic preferences, and financial timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an exercise physiologist and a physical therapist?

While both work with patients on physical movement, a physical therapist diagnoses and treats movement disorders and injuries, typically requiring a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. An exercise physiologist focuses on designing exercise programs for chronic disease management and prevention, usually with a bachelor's or master's degree. Physical therapists have a broader scope of practice and higher earning potential, but exercise physiologists play a critical and specialized role in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.

Can art therapists work in hospitals alongside exercise physiologists?

Absolutely. Many hospitals and rehabilitation centers employ both art therapists and exercise physiologists as part of multidisciplinary care teams. For example, a cardiac rehabilitation program might include an exercise physiologist managing a patient's physical recovery while an art therapist helps the same patient process the emotional trauma of a heart attack. These roles complement each other beautifully in holistic care models.

Is there any way to practice as an anesthesiologist assistant in California right now?

As of my most current knowledge, California does not have specific practice authority for anesthesiologist assistants. Legislative proposals have been introduced over the years but have not yet resulted in authorization. If this is your desired career, I recommend training in a state with established AA practice, gaining experience, and monitoring California legislative developments through the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants.

How much do exercise physiologists earn compared to these other roles?

Exercise physiologists generally earn less than anesthesiologist assistants, who command significantly higher salaries due to the surgical nature and advanced training of their role. Art therapist salaries tend to be comparable to exercise physiologist salaries at the entry level, though both can increase with specialization, advanced credentials, and geographic location. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides wage data for exercise physiologists, and I recommend checking their most current figures for your specific state.

Do exercise physiologists need to be licensed in every state?

No. Licensure requirements for exercise physiologists vary significantly by state. Some states require licensure or registration, while others have no regulatory requirements beyond employer-mandated certifications. The ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist credential is widely recognized and often preferred or required by employers regardless of state-level licensure requirements.

Finding Your Place in Healthcare

Whether you're drawn to the steady, transformative work of exercise physiology, the creative depth of an art therapist career, or the high-stakes precision of anesthesia — or you're still deciding — the most important step is getting granular about what each role actually involves day to day. I wrote this comparison because a description of exercise physiologist alone doesn't tell the full story. Context matters. Knowing what you're choosing and what you're choosing over makes for a much stronger career decision.

We built healthcareers.app to help you move from research to action. Once you've identified the career that fits, we're here to connect you with employers who value exactly the skills and passion you bring. Your next chapter in healthcare is closer than you think.