Partner in focus: Danielle Smith, CEO of Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA)
Published: 12 March 2025
We spoke with Danielle Smith, CEO of Exercise & Sports Science Australia, who explains the organisation’s vision and recent innovations.
What is the vision of Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA)?
The vision of ESSA is an Australia where exercise and sports science is recognised as vital to health and performance.
ESSA is the nation’s leading voice on exercise and sports science. We govern and represent degree-qualified professionals who support Australians to reach their health and performance goals.
We are advocates for industry recognition, champions of our profession and guardians of practitioner excellence. Whether it's through accrediting the professionals who guide us towards better health and performance, or through advocating for policies that prioritise physical activity, we're dedicated to creating a ripple effect across the nation.
What are some of the challenges you face?
One of our biggest challenges is advocating to government to invest more in preventive healthcare. ESSA advocates for evidence-based exercise prescription to achieve the best outcomes for individuals and communities, reducing public expenditure and improving population health.
Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) and Accredited Exercise Scientists (AESs) are critical to this effort. AES expertise helps prevent the onset of many health conditions, particularly for those at risk, and AEPs specialise in individualised treatment, behaviour change and reablement for a wide range of health conditions, from depression to diabetes. The broad implementation of these services can lower the burden on the healthcare system. Greater investment in exercise for preventive health translates to reduced healthcare costs for both governments and individuals, while improving the quality of life of Australians.
Can you explain one of your organisation's recent innovations?
The health and sport landscape is constantly evolving and our accredited professionals continually adapt to the diverse needs of Australians.
With the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions, innovative and continuously improved exercise treatments are essential. This is reflected in our research strategy, which prioritises the study of effective exercise interventions for conditions such as cancer, frailty, mental health and more."
This evolution also includes the rapid growth of technology for real-time movement analysis. This technology provides instant physiological feedback, results and progress tracking. Advanced tools like 3D motion tracking systems and comprehensive visual and data reports are being utilised across various fields, from injury rehabilitation and strength improvements to performance optimisation in elite sports.
What is most valuable about your partnership with Healthdirect Australia?
ESSA is committed to ensuring Australians have access to reliable and trusted healthcare information, and we hope that our visibility through healthdirect will encourage more people to engage with accredited exercise professionals for their healthcare needs.
The most valuable aspect of our partnership with Healthdirect Australia is the opportunity it provides to connect Australians with our national public health initiative, ‘Exercise Right’ (Opens in new tab), and sharing the expertise of our accredited exercise professionals.
Exercise Right is designed to educate and support Australians to lead active, healthy lifestyles by providing accurate, evidence-based information supplied by accredited exercise professionals on how to exercise in the right way.
Healthdirect’s platform allows us to reach a broad audience and showcase the resources and support available to anyone seeking professional exercise advice.
To learn more and find an accredited exercise professional near you, visit https://exerciseright.com.au/ (Opens in new tab)
Last reviewed: April 2025