CLINICAL EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST
Rachel Costelloe
Founder, Director & Principal Clinical Exercise Physiologist
Rachel is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with more than 10 years of experience across health, exercise and rehabilitation. She provides compassionate, evidence-based support that considers the whole person—not simply their diagnosis.
Rachel has a particular interest in women’s health, pregnancy and postpartum care, menopause, bone health, chronic conditions and helping people return to meaningful everyday activities.
- Accredited Exercise Physiologist
- Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology — The University of Queensland
- More than 10 years in health, exercise and rehabilitation
- Clinic, home and community-based services
- Manly West and Brisbane Bayside
Healthcare that understands real life
Rachel founded The Physiology Collective in 2022 to create an allied health practice where people feel listened to, respected and genuinely involved in their care.
After completing a Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at The University of Queensland, Rachel developed experience across private hospital outpatient rehabilitation, private practice, disability and NDIS services, chronic-condition management and clinical case coordination.
These roles allowed her to work with people living with a wide range of health conditions, disabilities and barriers to participation. They also reinforced her belief that effective healthcare must be more than clinically correct—it must be realistic, understandable and connected to what matters in everyday life.
As a business owner and busy mum of three young children, including twins, Rachel understands that health does not exist separately from work, family, fatigue, appointments, caring responsibilities and the unexpected demands of daily life.
Her goal is not to give people another unrealistic list of things they “should” be doing. It is to help them understand their options, develop confidence and find practical ways to improve their health, function and participation.
Experience and professional background
Rachel’s professional experience spans rehabilitation, disability, chronic-condition management and private practice. Select each heading to learn more.
Rachel completed a Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at The University of Queensland in 2016. Her university training included approximately 1,000 hours of supervised clinical placement across different areas of health, exercise and rehabilitation.
She is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and continues to undertake professional development relevant to her clinical interests and the needs of the people she supports.
Rachel’s early clinical experience included private hospital outpatient rehabilitation. This involved supporting people to rebuild physical capacity following illness, surgery, injury or a change in health.
This experience developed her understanding of graded rehabilitation, multidisciplinary communication and the importance of helping people move safely from supervised care towards greater independence.
Rachel has extensive experience supporting people with disability and working within the NDIS.
Her approach focuses on the functional impact of disability and the activities a person wants or needs to perform in everyday life. Exercise recommendations may support strength, mobility, physical capacity, confidence, community participation, independence and the management of secondary health risks.
Rachel values participant choice and control and works collaboratively with families, support coordinators, allied health professionals and other members of a participant’s team—with consent.
Rachel has supported people living with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic conditions, osteoporosis, neurological conditions, persistent pain, deconditioning and changes in physical function.
Programs are designed around the individual’s health, symptoms, current capacity, risks, preferences and goals. Exercise may be used to improve physical capacity, support symptom management and help the person participate more confidently in daily activities.
Rachel has a strong professional interest in exercise across women’s life stages, including pregnancy, postpartum recovery, pelvic pain, pre-menopause, perimenopause, menopause and bone health.
She has undertaken additional professional development relating to pregnancy and postpartum exercise and applies trauma-informed principles including safety, choice, consent, collaboration, predictability and control.
Her role is to provide whole-body exercise assessment, prescription and progression. This may include strength, cardiovascular fitness, physical capacity, symptom-aware exercise and a gradual return to walking, gym-based exercise, running, sport, work and caring responsibilities.
Exercise Physiology does not replace pelvic-health physiotherapy, obstetric or medical care. Rachel works within her professional scope and collaborates with or refers to other practitioners when appropriate.
Rachel established The Physiology Collective in 2022 and continues to provide clinical leadership and oversight across the practice.
Her role includes supporting clinical quality, staff development, service design, participant safety, evidence-based practice and collaboration across the team.
The practice was created around the values Rachel considers fundamental to good healthcare: listening first, providing clear information, respecting individual choices and designing support that can work in real life.
Areas of Interest
Pregnancy
Exercise support that considers pregnancy stage, symptoms, previous exercise experience, medical guidance and individual goals.
Sessions may address whole-body strength, cardiovascular fitness, mobility, physical capacity and preparation for changing daily and parenting demands.
Postpartum recovery
A gradual and individualised return to movement following birth, without pressure to “bounce back.”
Support focuses on how you feel and function, including strength, confidence, fatigue, caring demands and returning to activities that matter to you.
Menopause and bone health
Evidence-based resistance, impact and balance exercise adapted for menopause, reduced bone density, osteoporosis and fracture risk.
Programs consider symptoms, medical history, confidence, current capacity and the movements required in everyday life.
Chronic conditions
Individual exercise support for people living with cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological and other long-term health conditions.
Exercise is prescribed and progressed around symptoms, safety, capacity and meaningful health or functional goals.
Disability and NDIS
Person-centred exercise physiology focused on function, physical capacity, participation and the goals identified by the participant.
Sessions can be adapted for mobility, fatigue, pain, communication, sensory and cognitive needs.
Return to activity
Support for people wanting to return to walking, gym exercise, running, sport, work, recreation or physically demanding daily activities.
Progression is based on current capacity rather than pressure to meet a predetermined timeline.
What you can expect from Rachel
Rachel aims to create a calm, respectful environment where people can ask questions, understand their options and participate in decisions about their care. You do not need to be fit, confident with exercise or certain about your goals before attending.
A SPECIAL INTEREST IN WOMEN’S HEALTH
Exercise support across changing life stages
Rachel’s interest in pregnancy and postpartum care is both professional and personal.
As a former Kindred patient and mother of three—including twins—she understands that pregnancy and postpartum recovery rarely follow a perfectly predictable timeline. Fatigue, feeding, sleep, childcare, pain, changing recovery, medical appointments and limited time can all influence a person’s capacity to exercise.
Rachel’s approach is not centred on weight, appearance or pressure to return quickly to a previous level of fitness. She focuses on helping women feel stronger, more capable and more confident in their bodies and in the activities they want or need to perform.
Support may include whole-body strength, cardiovascular fitness, graded return to activity and preparation for the physical demands of parenting, work, recreation and daily life.
Rachel also supports women through pre-menopause, perimenopause, menopause and changing bone health. Exercise is adapted around the person’s symptoms, health history, goals and current capacity.
Working with your healthcare and support team
Good healthcare is rarely delivered by one person in isolation.
With your consent, Rachel can communicate and collaborate with your GP, specialist, midwife, obstetrician, pelvic-health physiotherapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, dietitian, support coordinator and other members of your healthcare or support team.
Rachel works within the scope of Exercise Physiology. When a concern requires assessment or treatment from another profession, she will explain this and recommend an appropriate referral.
This collaborative approach helps ensure exercise supports your broader healthcare plan without duplicating or replacing services provided by other practitioners.
- GP and specialists
- Midwifery and obstetrics
- Pelvic-health physiotherapy
- List Item
- Occupational therapy
- Mental health providers
- Dietician
- NDIS and support teams
- Physiotherapist
What an appointment involves
Your first appointment begins with a conversation about why you have attended, what is important to you and what you would like support with.
You can discuss your health, symptoms, previous experiences with exercise, current activities, concerns, preferences and any barriers affecting your participation.
Rachel will review relevant medical information, injuries, medications, current healthcare recommendations and your previous experience with movement or exercise.
You do not need to have exercised before, and you will not be judged for your current fitness or activity level.
Assessment considers more than isolated physical measurements.
Rachel may ask about work, parenting or caring responsibilities, home and community activities, fatigue, pain, mobility, available support, access to equipment and the tasks you need or want to perform.
An assessment may explore strength, balance, mobility, cardiovascular capacity, movement, symptoms or functional activities.
The assessment is selected according to your needs and goals. Rachel will explain what is being assessed and why, and activities can be adapted where required.
Rachel will discuss her recommendations with you and develop an exercise plan suited to your health, function, preferences and circumstances.
The plan may include supervised sessions, home-based activities, gym exercise, hydrotherapy, community-based exercise or strategies that can be incorporated into daily routines.
With your consent, Rachel can communicate with relevant healthcare professionals, family members, support coordinators or other members of your team.
This may help coordinate recommendations, clarify precautions or ensure everyone is working towards consistent goals.
Your program is reviewed and progressed according to your response, changing circumstances and goals.
Progress does not always mean making an exercise harder. It may involve improving confidence, reducing support, adapting an activity, managing symptoms more effectively or participating more independently in everyday life.
Beyond the clinic
Outside the clinic, Rachel is a mum to three young children, including twins, and understands firsthand how full and unpredictable family life can be.
Her experiences of pregnancy, postpartum recovery, feeding, sleep disruption, childcare and running a business have strengthened her commitment to healthcare that is flexible, compassionate and realistic.
Rachel does not expect clients to organise their lives around a perfect exercise routine. She helps people identify what is manageable now, develop the tools they need and build towards meaningful activities at a pace that respects their circumstances.
Appointments with Rachel
- Manly West clinic appointments
- Home and community visits where available
- Telehealth where clinically appropriate
- Private health rebates may apply
- Medicare rebates may be available with an eligible GP referral
- NDIS services where appropriate to Rachel’s scope
- No referral is required for private appointments
