In the early years of my high school experience, I realized that there were a lot of factors in my school system that pushed students to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives early on. Although the chances that sophomores in high school have any idea of what they want to do with the rest of their lives is pretty slim, I began exploring my options. It felt as though I was a little child again, choosing a different job or major every two weeks, each with no relation or connection to the next. At first, I was drawn to occupations that related to my creative hobbies, such as professional musician, dancer, fashion designer, and even actress. As I moved into high school I began to consider more practical jobs such as a lawyer or police detective, though both ideas were immediately rejected by my parents. These back and forth ideas continued to spiral until one day it finally hit me. I wanted to be a physical therapist. I often get asked the question of why I chose the path I did. I am honestly unable to provide a clear answer to this question yet. I may have been drawn to it due to the underlying influences I was able to get from my mother who is a PT; It also could have been from my fifteen-year dance background where I was exposed to many areas of exercise and injury. but what I do know is that when I put these influences together, it just felt right.
Exercise physiology is quickly becoming one of the most popular majors offered here at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. This is due to the new transition of PTs being required to earn their Doctorate of Physical Therapy, instead of a Masters of Physical Therapy. As a result of their new program development, schools are now required to adapt an undergraduate degree that will prepare students for their graduate track. Many new majors such as exercise physiology, kinesiology, and many other Bachelor of Science degrees are becoming the first steps to obtaining a DPT. Though I intend to complete my DTP at UML, physical therapy isn’t the only career that can be earned through a degree in exercise physiology. Many people have a preconceived idea that exercise physiology is just simply the study of exercise and different exercises you can do at the gym. While that might be true in a way, a degree in exercise physiology is so much more than being more experienced in the gym. As said in the major catalog created by the University, a degree in exercise physiology “gives students the confidence and skills necessary to educate, transform, and inspire people to live healthier lives through the study of the body’s response to exercise”. (UML) With this in mind, exercise physiology can create a foundation for a career with many possibilities. Examples of these careers may include becoming athletic trainers, fitness instructors, dieting coaches, lifestyle coaches, rehab workers, pre-health professionals, corporate wellness workers, and even exercise physiology researchers.
There has become a heavy interest for more college students to work in the exercise physiology field, whether it is working as a personal trainer, physical therapist, exercise physiologist, or even an athletic trainer. This can be attributed to the promotion of sports throughout towns and schools early on in a child’s life. This causes an increase in children to participate in athletics, then encouraging more to stay involved with the athletic livelihood. However, though you may think this would create more of a competition for jobs, the exercise related jobs are in more of a demand. Though more students today are looking for a career in the exercise physiology field, the same motivation that encouraged workers to be in the field at the same time are creating a more athletic youth, therefore increasing the demand in which exercise physiologists are needed.
The underlying concepts and knowledge we gain from science can all be drawn from the starting point of research. All scientific discoveries must have a research component in order to ensure credibility, as research is one of the few ways any type of scientific theory can be verified in a statistical way. The field of exercise physiology is no exception to this scientific law. All facts known and taught through the field of exercise physiology have all been acquired through some type of research. In exercise physiology, as well as all sciences, the information found by research is the information we use to write textbooks, diagnose patients, fund grants, and overall, the information we use to educate others. That being said, many rules and restrictions must be put in place, as well as followed, in order to ensure the credibility of the research. For example, an underlying presumption about research is that data is not touched or tampered with, meaning that any and all data found must be recorded and reported as is. Another rule and regulation of research is that once the research and data is verified and reported, every detail of the research is to be noted, therefore not leaving any information out. Though it may seem like a simple presumption, many big-name companies are often known to manipulate information, whether leaving out important facts or taking data out of context. These scheming actions are used in order to increase credibility with much of the public, therefore increasing sales and popularity, though not having any actual credibility.
As well as in research, many exercise physiological facts are taken up from studies and practices involving patient work. Because the job opportunities and job descriptions for exercise physiologists can be so widespread, it is hard to pinpoint certain practices one can perform in order to better develop the field of exercise physiology. For example, if an exercise physiologist was to be working with a particular chronic injury, the study would be conducted toward either treatment plans created in order to either prevent further injuries throughout a population for others, or in order to create treatment plans that will allow for better practices that will allow said injury to become more manageable for the life of the patient.
In the world of exercise physiology, the widespread fact that is not always known to the general public is the idea that exercise is medicine. We all have the preconceived idea that in order for us to be somewhat “healthy”, some type of exercise is required. However, not many people think of exercise as something that doctors should be prescribing to all patients, regardless of their health state. This being said, I am drawn to this field as it allows me to be able to work with an unlimited range of ages, health status, and lifestyles. As stated before, the entire exercise physiology field operates under the essential goal of providing the general public with a way to promote and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Many people take that with a grain of salt, thinking it implies that exercise physiologists are only good for yelling to drop and give them five more push-ups. However, the greater idea of exercise physiology bases its education on creating a healthier lifestyle that we are able to apply towards improving not just one gym member, but improving a wide range of abilities and health stages. This is the goal for exercise physiologists to have exercise to be seen as medicine to not just doctors or health care providers, but to the general public as well. With all the facts and goals followed by exercise physiologists, the work they do excites me, as they are able to take pride in what they do every day, as they all strive to help people achieve their best and healthiest life in order to make a difference that will last a lifetime.