Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
If you've been told to 'just push through' or 'exercise more,' you know that advice doesn't work for chronic fatigue. We take a different approach. One that respects your energy limits and builds from where you actually are.
ME/CFS affects more than 250,000 Australians. Despite this, the average time to diagnosis is over five years. Many people living with chronic fatigue have been dismissed, told it's psychological, or given advice that made things worse.
The defining feature of ME/CFS is post-exertional malaise (PEM), a worsening of symptoms after physical or mental effort that can last days or weeks. Most practitioners don't account for this. That's a problem, because exercise programs that ignore PEM can cause real harm.
We take your experience seriously. We listen. And we build programs around what your body can actually tolerate, not what a textbook says it should.
Traditional graded exercise therapy (GET) has been harmful for many people with CFS. Research and lived experience both show that pushing through fatigue does not build tolerance. It triggers setbacks. Our approach is pacing-first, not pushing through.
Working within your energy limits, not beyond them. We help you identify your daily capacity and plan activity that stays inside it.
This is not graded exercise in the traditional sense. It is careful, incremental adjustment based on how your body responds, with built-in rest and recovery.
Maintaining physical function without triggering PEM. Short, low-intensity sessions designed to keep your body capable without pushing into a crash.
Gentle approaches to calm an overactive stress response. Breathwork, movement flow, and body awareness techniques that support recovery.
We don't use cookie-cutter programs. We listen to your body and build around what it can handle today, not what it should handle in theory.
A thorough assessment including energy mapping, symptom tracking, and identifying your current baseline. We want to know what a normal day looks like for you, and what tips you over.
Activity pacing, energy envelope management, and boom-and-bust cycle awareness. Your plan is built around your life, not a generic protocol.
Carefully dosed movement that respects PEM, with clear stop signals. If something is too much, we scale back. No pushing through.
Very slow progression, with frequent reassessment and adjustment. Progress might be measured in minutes, not reps. That is completely fine.
Footscray Clinic Lead & Exercise Physiologist
Matt works from our Footscray clinic and has extensive experience with chronic fatigue, ME/CFS, and other invisible illnesses. He completed the Connection Medicine Invisible Illnesses training and understands that for CFS, doing less is often doing more. His approach is patient, collaborative, and always respectful of your energy limits.
Qualifications: Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology, Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science, Accredited Exercise Physiologist (ESSA), NOI Explain Pain, Connection Medicine: Invisible Illnesses
View Matt's full profileYou don't need a formal diagnosis to see us, and you don't need a referral. Our team works with people at every stage of their fatigue journey.
Diagnosed ME/CFS (any severity)
Post-viral fatigue (including long COVID)
Unexplained chronic fatigue
Fibromyalgia with fatigue as a primary symptom
Wanting to return to activity without triggering crashes
Looking for a practitioner who understands PEM
Yes, but only when carefully paced. Individually dosed movement can help maintain physical function and improve quality of life. The key is staying within your energy envelope and avoiding post-exertional malaise.
It can, if not paced correctly. Our approach starts with understanding your current capacity and never exceeds it. We use careful monitoring and clear stop signals to make sure movement supports you rather than setting you back.
PEM is a worsening of symptoms after physical, mental, or emotional exertion. It is the hallmark feature of ME/CFS and can appear hours or days after activity. Symptoms include increased fatigue, pain, cognitive difficulties, and flu-like feelings.
This varies from person to person. For some, gentle stretching or short walks are appropriate. For others, seated exercises or breathing work may be the starting point. We assess your individual baseline and build from there.
Traditional GET involves progressively increasing exercise regardless of symptom response. This has been widely criticised and was removed from NICE guidelines in 2021. Our approach is pacing-based: we start within your energy envelope, monitor for PEM, and only progress when your body shows it is ready.
No referral is needed. You can book directly online. If you have a GP management plan, you may be eligible for Medicare-rebated sessions.
Yes. Exercise physiology is covered by most private health extras. We process claims on the spot with HICAPS.
Your journey
Many of the people we work with are navigating more than one condition. Whether it's pain, fatigue, or something harder to name, our team takes the time to understand the full picture. No labels, no one-size-fits-all.
Learn about our approachReady to take the next step? Book an initial appointment and tell us your story. No referral needed.
Book Your First Appointment
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