Yes. Sedatives, sleeping tablets, some antidepressants and blood pressure medications can cause drowsiness, unsteadiness or a drop in blood pressure when you stand. Taking four or more medications also raises risk. Your exercise physiologist will note what you take and flag anything worth reviewing, then your GP or pharmacist can do a formal medication review. Never stop or change a dose yourself.

It matters a lot. Fear of falling makes people walk stiffly, take shorter steps and avoid outings, and that loss of practice weakens balance further. Training in a supervised setting, with a rail or bench nearby, breaks the cycle by letting you feel unsteady safely. Confidence usually rises as your chair rises, walking speed and stepping reactions improve.

Balance training works best when it is frequent and ongoing, rather than done in a short block. Research supports several hours of challenging balance work each week, spread across most days. The gains are trainable but not permanent: strength and balance start to fade within weeks of stopping. Most people move to a maintenance program they can keep doing long term.

Yes, if you have not recently. Reduced depth perception, new glasses and multifocals all change how you judge steps and kerbs. Inner ear problems cause spinning with head movement and respond to specific treatment rather than exercise alone. Bring anything you notice to your appointment, and you may be referred to your optometrist, GP or a vestibular physiotherapist alongside your program.

Exercise physiology is commonly funded through Home Care Packages as an allied health service, and DVA and NDIS participants may also be eligible. [CONFIRM: whether OnePointHealth accepts Home Care Package and CHSP funding, and which package levels or providers]. Bring your plan or package details when you book, and our reception team can check what your funding covers before your first session.

Usually yes, once you have been shown how. Home exercises are prescribed at a level you can do with a bench, rail or chair back within reach, and never in a spot where a stumble means hitting a hard corner. Harder tasks, such as stepping drills and floor transfers, are practised with supervision first. Tell your exercise physiologist if anything makes you feel dizzy.