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What is prehabilitation, and can it improve my surgery outcome?

Prehabilitation, or prehab, is the practice of improving your physical fitness and overall health before surgery. The better your condition going in, the faster and more completely you will recover coming out. If you have surgery coming up, our physiotherapist can help you prepare.

Why does prehab matter?

You would not run a marathon without training first. Surgery, whatever the scale, is a significant physical and psychological event.

Most people preparing for surgery focus entirely on the procedure itself and the recovery period after it. Very few think about what they can do beforehand to improve the outcome. Yet the evidence is clear: arriving at surgery in better physical condition makes a significant difference to how quickly and fully you recover.

Getting started

How can Be Well help me prepare for surgery?

Prehab at Be Well starts with a consultation. You come in, speak with our physiotherapist, and together you work out what preparation makes most sense for your surgery, your timeline, and where your body is right now.

If you have surgery coming up, book a 1:1 initial consultation with our physiotherapist and find out how you can best prepare.

Book an initial 1:1

The People

Meet Your Physiotherapists

There is a physio clinic on every block. The difference is our people, their depth of expertise, global experience, and genuine investment in your long-term health.

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Patrick Lynch

Senior Physiotherapist

Clinical Lead

A physiotherapist and exercise scientist in one, because lasting results come from treating the whole person, not just the injury.

Pat began his journey on the Gold Coast, completing his undergraduate degree in exercise science before moving south to complete a Masters of Physiotherapy at the University of Sydney.

Being both a physiotherapist and exercise scientist, Pat uses a hands-on approach to treatment in combination with exercise prescription in order to get the best results for his clients.

At Be Well Hawthorn, Pat strives to find the most effective and enjoyable way to help his clients achieve their goals, and live as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

  • Musculoskeletal Rehab
  • Exercise Prescription
  • Injury Prevention
  • Pre and Post-Surgical
  • Well-On-Track
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Sabine Groscurth

Senior Sports Physiotherapist

30+ Years

From Grand Slam courts to the mountains of Europe, thirty years of elite-level experience, now available to you in Hawthorn.

Sabine has always been immersed in sports by choice, from childhood games to competitive pursuits, exploring what makes the human body move so remarkably. This passion guided her to Physiotherapy School in Bochum, Germany, where her professional story began.

She deepened her knowledge with a PNF course in San Francisco and earned a Master’s in Musculoskeletal and Sports Physiotherapy from the University of Adelaide. Her career reached its peak travelling the world as a sports physiotherapist for WTA elite tennis players, attending Grand Slams and tournaments on tour.

After building her practice in Switzerland and Germany, she settled in Melbourne 15 years ago. Today, she helps patients rediscover their strength and mobility.

  • Elite Sports Rehab
  • WTA Tour Physiotherapy
  • Musculoskeletal Therapy
  • PNF Techniques
  • Well-On-Track
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Natalie Ng

Physiotherapist

First Class Honours

Natalie's breadth of clinical experience, spanning inpatient orthopaedics, aged care and community disability, brings exceptional sensitivity and skill to every session.

Natalie graduated from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Science (Physiotherapy) with First Class Honours.

She brings experience across private practice, inpatient orthopaedics, palliative care, aged care, and community disability.

Whether you’re recovering from injury, managing a chronic condition, or improving your overall wellbeing, Natalie is here to support you every step of the way.

  • Private Practice
  • Orthopaedics
  • Aged Care
  • Community Disability
  • Palliative Care

Surgery coming up?

Let's talk.

Book an initial consultation with our physiotherapist and find out how to best prepare for your surgery and recover faster.
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Meet our physio team

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Prehab, short for prehabilitation, refers to the process of improving your physical condition before a medical procedure, most commonly surgery. The goal is to enter the procedure stronger and healthier, so your body is better equipped to cope with the demands of surgery and the recovery that follows.
Prehabilitation is a structured program of exercise, physiotherapy and health optimisation undertaken in the weeks or months before surgery. It typically includes targeted strength training, cardiovascular conditioning and mobility work, guided by a physiotherapist based on your specific procedure and health status. At Be Well, prehabilitation is delivered as a personalised 1:1 program with our physiotherapy team.
The research is clear: patients who are in better physical condition when they go into surgery recover faster, experience fewer complications, and spend less time in hospital. Prehab is valuable because it gives you a meaningful degree of control over your surgical outcome. It is one of the most effective things you can do in the lead-up to a procedure.
Examples of prehabilitation include strength training for the muscles surrounding a joint ahead of a knee or hip replacement, breathing exercises before cardiac or thoracic surgery, core strengthening before spinal procedures, and cardiovascular conditioning to improve your body's capacity to handle anaesthesia and heal efficiently. The specific exercises depend on your surgery, timeline and current fitness level. A physiotherapist will tailor the program accordingly.
Preparing for knee surgery involves building the strength and mobility of the muscles surrounding the knee before the procedure. Research shows that patients who undergo surgery with greater strength recover function faster and spend less time in hospital. A consultation with our physiotherapist will help you understand what is most valuable for your specific procedure and timeline.
Hip replacement prehab typically focuses on strengthening the muscles around the hip and improving cardiovascular fitness so your body can handle surgery and heal efficiently. Improving your balance and range of motion before the procedure also makes the post-surgical rehabilitation period more manageable. Our physiotherapist can assess where to focus given your surgery date.
Shoulder surgery prehab focuses on maintaining or improving the strength of the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint before the procedure, as well as addressing cardiovascular fitness and overall health factors that affect recovery. Arriving in good physical condition reduces the risk of complications and helps you regain range of motion faster in the recovery period after surgery.
Preparing for back surgery often involves strengthening the core and stabilising muscles that support the spine, improving overall fitness, and addressing any lifestyle factors such as weight or nutrition that may affect surgical outcomes. Our team can work with you to ensure you are in great shape for recovery in the lead-up to your procedure.
No. Prehab at Be Well is open to anyone preparing for surgery, whether or not you are a current member. Book an initial consultation and our physiotherapist will take you through what preparation makes sense for your surgery and your body.