EXERCISE THOUGHT
PHYSIO & OSTEO IN LILYDALE
Exercise Thought is the top physio & osteo practice in Lilydale. Awarded for client care, student education and community service, our team has over 50-years combined clinical experience. Referrers recommend us every day. Our clients are our strongest advocates.
Exercise Thought's awards include:
• 2023 Australian Physiotherapy Practice of the Year
• 2023 Most Client-centred Physiotherapy Provider VIC
• 2023 Australian Allied Health Leadership & Management Excellence
• 2022 Australian Physiotherapist of the Year
• 2022 Australian Allied Health Educator of the Year
• 2022 Physiotherapy Clinic of the Year VIC
• 2021 Best Private Physiotherapy Provider VIC
• 2023 Community Service Award from Yarra Ranges Council
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![Exercise Physiologist Lilydale Molli Unusu]()
Molli Unusu
EXERISE PHYSIOLOGIST
With a passion for creating healthy, sustainable lifestyles through education and exercise, Molli helps people to ‘move into the impossible.’ Molli works with people of all ages and abilities.
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![Dr Mitchell Dielemans Osteopath Lilydale]()
Dr Mitchell Dielemans
OSTEOPATH
Mitch’s holistic approach to treatment includes manual therapy, education, manipulation (cracking) and exercise rehabilitation. Mitch also has a passion for sports.
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![Bailee_Physio in Lilydale]()
Bailee Hodgson
PHYSIOTHERAPIST
Bailee enjoys helping people with sport injuries and women’s health. Bailee was born and raised in Mt Evelyn and is also the Head Trainer at the local football club.
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![Ben Ursich_Physio in Lilydale]()
Ben Ursich
PHYSIOTHERAPIST
Ben loves coffee, cats and Carlton. He also loves being a physiotherapist. Ben is well loved at the free Falls & Balance class we run every Wednesday in Lilydale’s Melba Park.
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![Rachel_Physio in Lilydale]()
Rachel Ewart
SENIOR PHYSIOTHERAPIST
Rachel has over 23 years of clinical practice and leads the education of our students. Rach enjoys using pilates and dry needling to help clients. Rach also adores cats.
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![Cameron_Physio in Lilydale]()
Cameron Brown
SENIOR PHYSIOTHERAPIST
Cameron loves working with shoulder, knee and sporting injuries. He has a knack for helping neurodiverse clients and is our in-house arthritis guru. He's also a big Tigers fan.
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![Sam Suke_Physio in Lilydale]()
Sam Suke
PRINCIPAL PHYSIOTHERPIST
Sam founded Exercise Thought and it has never felt like work. In 2022, he was awarded Australian Physiotherapist of the Year and learned how to unicycle.
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![Michelle_Physio in Lilydale]()
Michelle Papworth
FINANCE & CONCIERGE
Michelle is our ‘practice Mum’. She runs payrolls, balance the books and chases outstanding invoices. Michelle loves scuba diving, and was Australia’s Irish Champion (twice).
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![Sean Frost_Physio in Lilydale]()
Sean Frost
FUTURE PHYSIO & CONCIERGE
Sean will graduate from Exercise Sports Science in 2024. Sean is also a well-loved coach and Personal Trainer at Genesis in Lilydale. He lifts heavy things and love anime.
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![Christina Gregersen_Physio in Lilydale]()
Dr Christina Gregersen PhD
STRATEGY & MARKETING
Chris holds a PhD in consumer psychology, two business degrees and helps Exercise Thought with her skills as a strategy consultant for global companies. Chris is also enjoys pilates, hiking and wild animals.
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![Physiotherapy treatment room Lilydale]()
Physiotherapy
Exercise Thought in Lilydale delivers award-winning physiotherapy. Each physio offers personalised hands-on care, education and exercise to achieve client outcomes.
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![Osteopathy Lilydale]()
Osteopathy
Osteopathy often focuses more on manual therapy and manipulation (cracking) compared to physiotherapy which also uses hands-on techniques. Both emphasis education and exercise for long-term results.
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![Physio Lilydale clincal pilates on reformer]()
Clinical Pilates
Exercise Thought provides the most intimate and personalised pilates in Lilydale. Our physiotherapists work 3-on-1 with clients to prescribe, monitor & progress each exercise in-line with individual client goals and symptoms.
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![Exercise Physiology Lilydale]()
Exercise Physiology
Our private and small group Exercise Physiology services help you to create and maintain a healthy, sustainable lifestyle whilst achieving your goals in a supported environment.
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![Physio Lilydale dry needling client as treatment]()
Dry Needling
Each physio who provides dry needling has completed specialised training to ensure the safe and effective use of dry needling to relieve trigger points, muscle tightness and pain.
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![Physio Lilydale Women's Health postnatal and prenatal]()
Women's & Pelvic Health
We are lucky to have a physiotherapy with a special interest in women’s and pelvic health. Pre- and post-natal physiotherapy, pelvic floor retraining and more.
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![Physio Lilydale sports injury assessment]()
Sports Physiotherapy
Our physiotherapists routinely help clients across a range of sports. Football, soccer, basketball, CrossFit, netball and more. We have strong partnership with several local clubs.
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![Physio Lilydale giving massage in treatment room]()
Massage
Remedial, trigger point, deep tissue & sports massage are all available in Lilydale. Physiotherapy students and Interns gain experience while providing affordable treatments under supervision.
Who and how we treat
Clients choose us to help them with back pain, ankle injury, neck pain, knee pain and shoulder pain most often. We also help clients with sports injuries, arthritis, headache, tendon pain, elbow issues and wrist pain.
Our physiotherapists perform various treatment methods to help individual clients. We offer physiotherapy, small group exercise classes, deep tissue massage, dry needling, joint mobilisation and traction, contract-relax stretching, kinesio-taping, exercise prescription and hydrotherapy.
We serve clients from Lilydale, Mooroolbark, Chirnside Park and Kinley. We have treated clients from Canada, India, New Zealand, Indonesia, Guatemala, Denmark and USA.
History
Exercise Thought opened in Lilydale in early 2020 with one Physio and one Concierge. The first COVID-19 lockdown began only weeks later. Physiotherapy was deemed 'essential' and so remained available during this and every other lockdown. We cared for clients face-to-face and via video during self-isolations. Video consultations enabled our physios to treat clients across Australia and overseas. We also began hosting physio students during this time. Over 200 students have been hosted by Exercise Thought.
Five physiotherapists, an osteopath and an exercise physiologist now practice from our Lilydale locations. We opened a second practice in Ringwood to provide hydrotherapy over 2021-2022. We closed the Ringwood location because our team missed each other and no amount of profitability or professional advancement was worth the health of our team. Our growing list of daily service offerings now includes physiotherapy, osteopathy, exercise physiology, clinical pilates, massage, hydrotherapy, dry needling, women’s and pelvic healthcare, sports physiotherapy and more. Our 3-on-1 guided physiotherapy exercise sessions are filled with laughter, learning and progress.
In 2022, we began offering non-surgical solutions to hip and knee arthritis using the GLA:D framework as inspiration. Around the same time, we initiated a free Falls & Balance (FAB) class. FAB is 10.30am Wednesdays in Melba Park Lilydale. This class has proven popular with over 100 people attending in the first year. Exercise Thought was honoured by a Community Service award from Yarra Ranges Council for this class.
Word of mouth referrals are our backbone. Most clients find us through recommendations from friends and loved ones. Doctors, surgeons, coaches, trainers and sporting clubs in and around Lilydale (sometimes far away) are now recommending Exercise Thought. We are trusted by players and coaches at CrossFit Lilydale Ranges, Genesis Health & Fitness Lilydale, The Running Company Lilydale, as well as Lilydale, Mt Evelyn, Chirnside Park & Mooroolbark Football Clubs, Lilydale Eagles and Mooroolbark Barkers Soccer Clubs, Kindred Warrior Yoga, and Soul Studio Pilates, and more. Businesses also trust us to look after their staff for a swift return to work or stint of lighter duties as their recover from work-related injury.
Exercise Thought serves community beyond physical therapies through the Exercise Thought Foundation which gives:
Blood and plasma donations (over 1 thousand lives saved as of 2023)
Free health services e.g. the free Falls & Balance class
Sponsorships for the study and practicing of physiotherapy in the developing world
• Volunteers to Lilydale Township & Action Group, Lilydale Business and Traders, & Yarra Valley Business
Exercise Thought will grow into a hub of preventative and responsive services. At the heart of our future history is a desire to elevate the health of the Lilydale. We will continue to partner with local referrers, clubs, clinics and communities to grant more people access to world-class healthcare. We aim to help Lilydale with more than top-level physiotherapy. We know obesity, alcohol, domestic violence and chronic disease are big issues. We have plans for addressing these problems with a range of solutions. Part of our future is building deeper connections with our community.
Mission
To make people better, and make better people
Vision
To become the most known and loved physio practice in the Yarra Valley by 2025
To become the most known and loved health service in the Yarra Valley by 2030
To be the world’s best workplace
To become the world’s best physical therapy practice by 2040
To operate a preventative hospital in Lilydale by 2050
To serve every human on earth (and mars) with world-class physical therapy at near-zero cost and within one lifetime
What’s the latest?
Exercise Thought prizes education. You are welcome to learn from our blog which outlines tips and tricks for common problems. You can also learn by following us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
