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Dear Exercise Physiologists:
Thank you for being part of our community. ASEP is the specific voice for (historically under-represented) Exercise Physiologists.
Please use this Newsletter as a link to ASEP resources from scientific
journals to professional papers, to employment and related
opportunities. And be sure to click on "More On Us" at the left for the
ASEP-newsletter's parent web site!
-Lonnie Lowery, ASEP-Newsletter Editor |
| Editor's Corner |
|
 Where is Exercise Physiology Headed?
This month we finish exploring points on which I believe ASEP should focus. The last of the categories is:
5.) Justice
My last editorial in this series of what I'd personally like to see in ASEP's future surrounds a theme of justice.
With regards to this editorial, definitions of the word might be
"getting what one deserves (but not more)" or "being rewarded based on
hard work and merit". Unfortunately, I cannot help but see certain
injustices in today's health and wellness marketplace. For example, in
my state, a person needs a license to cut hair but not to put a
middle-aged, obese, hypertensive, arrhythmic client on a treadmill. I
wonder if anyone else finds this kind of thing odd.
Too,
there are health-related organizations aggressively policing and
expanding their scopes of practice, which already reach into the realm
of exercise physiology. In my state any weight management program must
involve a registered dietitian to be "legal". Yet diet alone (e.g. kcal
restriction) is well known to be largely ineffectual, in itself, for
long term weight loss. (Not to say this involvement isn't hugely
important; it is a necessary component!) What else has to be included
to achieve more lasting client/ patient success? You guessed it:
exercise. But there is no licensure for Exercise Physiologists (EPs) in
my state or 48 others. Nowhere can one find governmental insistence
that an exercise professional, similarly qualified in education and
experience to a dietitian, be part of weight loss. This essential
component is left to those with much less specific training (if any).
With about 65% of Americans overweight and obese - and with so much at
stake - I wonder if anyone else finds this to be odd.
It
wasn't until I was in graduate school that it started to sink in that
some of my fellow Master's degree peers were graduating to take
near-minimum wage positions as personal trainers. Six to seven years of
university training, countless hours in the lab and at scientific
meetings, often a huge personal and financial investment, and they were
rewarded with $6.25 per hour. That is, when they were hired. Reality
was prone to setting-in. To many club managers, expertise in
high-pressure sales tactics are just as attractive as years of training
and competence in exercise physiology. At times uneducated personal
trainers or those with a six-hour investment and subsequent certificate
were given the jobs over my peers who sported six years of effort. I,
myself once went to an interview in which I was told that I must have a
university degree or a certificate of some kind. Doesn't anyone else think this to be odd or unjust?
As
I was about to graduate with my PhD, I started to contemplate my
experiences and wonder how to address my upcoming role as a faculty
advisor. Would I encourage my students to enter the discipline of
exercise science (physiology), offering nebulous advice like "the world
is what you make of it"? After all, there was injustice out there.
Licensure and related pay/ recognition just weren't to be found. How
would I balance my experiences in the "real world" with comments from
my Dean addressing Departmental viability and the necessity of
accepting tuition from hopeful students? "Bums on seats, Lonnie - bums
on seats!"
Although
I know such comments were tempered with a degree of responsibility and
possibility, the reality is still difficult. I would argue that most
exercise science students are not looking for a "personal enrichment
degree", nor do they have an awareness such as one might find among
certain humanities (philosophy, psychology, history, anthropology,
etc.) that a Bachelor's is more of a stepping stone to further
schooling. There is an unformed, back-burnered notion that something
commensurate with their training awaits. Many are simply too busy
getting good grades and fulfilling their curriculum requirements as
they move toward the finish line of graduation. What lies beyond that
finish line may take months to set in, at a time when former advisors
have responsibilities to new and current students. Do others see
injustice in this?
I
wish I had a specific detailed plan to address such injustices. As the
ASEP Board of Directors expands, I hope to find an individual up to the
challenge of becoming a Justice Chair of sorts. This person would have
the flexibility to form a committee that might do such things as start
a mail campaign increasing awareness of our difficult academic cycle.
That is, of churning out thousands of new students who end up working
outside of their field in order to pay rent or have a reliable car. The
advocacy could reach out to existing exercise science professors /
advisors or to committees in other healthcare groups or to state
legislatures. Perhaps a quarterly advocacy newsletter / flyer would
suffice. I for one would like to offer some real world cases of bright
exercise science grads who, despite the ability to discuss glycogen
synthase at the drop of a hat, are landscapers or house painters.
So,
as this series of editorials ends, I ask for your comments, your
efforts and your willingness to volunteer. For years I have seen
hundreds of subscribers and conference attendees keep a watchful eye on
ASEP, that "slightly radical group that might just breakthrough at some
point". But such things don't happen without
manpower and womanpower. We can make a difference and we can do so by
working with other exercise and health-related groups.
All
I need is an email from you. Together we can fix some of the
injustices, some of which you may have experienced yourself.
For justice and health,
Lonnie Lowery
Lonman7@hotmail.com
President, ASEP |
| Ask the EP |
|
| Q.) What are some factors affecting women and weight control?
A.) With
the New Year, many of you will make resolutions concerning your health
status. For many, there seems to be a common theme year after year. So,
for starters let's discuss some issues with women and weight.
Let's
focus upon women who are just beyond menopause, usually around age 50.
Often they complain that doing the things they used to do no longer
helps them manage their weight. Also, when they add pounds, the weight
"goes to their middle".
They
want to know what they are doing wrong and what kind of diet and
exercise program will get them back on the right path and reduce their
midsections. The good news is that this is typical for this population,
so if you are experiencing it, know that you are not abnormal. The bad
news is that it's a tough nut to crack. Women often will describe their
current program, and it may include walking three or four miles several
days a week. The diet sounds pretty good, too, with a reasonable number
of calories. The things being done are right and should work. Why don't
they? There may be several reasons.
Lost muscle mass
Muscle
is the most prevalent tissue in the body (unless you are obese). It's
high-maintenance, demanding lots of energy, even at rest. Muscle helps
set the rate of metabolism and largely determines the number of
calories you burn during the day. Men have considerably more muscle
mass than women and burn more calories. As a result, it's easier for
women to overeat, especially if they eat out often. Restaurants give
men and women the same portions, despite innate differences. Men not
only start out with more muscle mass, they tend to hold onto it longer.
Typically, women start losing muscle mass in their 40s and their
metabolic rate (which wasn't that high to begin with) drops in kind.
Thus, even if you continued to do all the things that were effective in
managing your weight in the past, they won't work anymore because of
lost muscle. The solution? Hold onto your muscle mass and rebuild more
if you can.
Resistance
training (with weights) is big news nowadays because it helps weight
management much more than was thought. The old view was, because
lifting weights doesn't burn nearly as many calories as vigorous
continuous aerobic exercises, like brisk walking and jogging, it's best
to invest in aerobics. We
now know that lifting weights and building muscle pays huge dividends
by hyping metabolism all day long, and not just while you are lifting.
A good exercise program will contain both aerobics and weight training.
Hormones
Early
in life, females tend to store more fat below the waist, on the hips,
thighs and buttocks. Men generally store more fat around the middle.
Hormonal shifts occur after menopause (less estrogen is produced), and
females become more like males in their fat-deposition pattern.
Unfortunately,
there is no special exercise program that effectively targets abdominal
fat. Sit-ups and the like can strengthen abdominal muscles, but they
probably don't burn much fat specifically in the midsection.
[Surprisingly, new research suggests at least some local effects,
however - Ed.] You cannot "spot reduce" in a dramatic way; in other
words, no matter what all those ridiculous infomercials tell you.
Problems
with other hormones can impact metabolism. The thyroid may become less
active, and the insulin response may be blunted. Thus, it's a good idea
to have a checkup and rule out such problems. Assuming your hormone
profile is normal for your age, and if a brisk walking program and a
moderate diet no longer work, you have a choice. Do more aerobic
exercise, include a good measure of weight training under proper EP
supervision, eat less and make better food choices. Or, if this is
asking too much in terms of time, effort and sacrifice, simply accept
that you no longer will look the way you did in your younger years.
Focus on your health profile, and if that looks good, you can slide a
little on the reflection in the mirror.
~Jonathan Mike MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT |
| Advertisements |
|
Opportunities Related to Exercise Physiology
Assistant or Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology
The Department of Exercise Physiology at The College of St. Scholastica
invites applications for a tenure track faculty position, starting
September 2008, at the level of Assistant Professor or Associate
Professor (depending upon the candidate's credentials and experience).
Qualifications: Earned doctorate in exercise
physiology or related field is required. Must have a strong commitment
to teaching excellence in human anatomy (with cadaver dissection),
electrocardiography, cardiac rehabilitation, and psychophysiology, and
a record of publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Responsibilities: Teach exercise physiology courses
at the undergraduate and graduate levels, support the department's
initiative with the American Society of Exercise Physiologists,
supervise department internships, advise students, serve on department
and college-wide committees, and engage in research and publish
scientific papers.
Application information: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and academic experience. Apply online at www.csshrjobs.com.
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until
the position is filled. All applicants must be authorized to work in
the United States at the time of an offer of employment. AA/EOE
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
Exercise Physiologist
Exercise Physiologist (Staten Island) For
residential & community based prgms, plan, coord. & implmt the
dvlpmt of exercise & fitness prgms for individuals w/autism &
dvlpmt'l disabilities. Establish cardiovascular health & wellness
prgms. Perform health related fitness tests. Resp. for meeting exercise
& physical activity reqmts prescribed for each individual.
Bachelors in Physical Education & Masters in Health Sci. w/a
specialization in Work (Exercise) Physiology. M-F, 9-5. Resume to: Ms.
Barrafato, HR Director, On Your Mark Inc, 645 Forest Ave, Staten
Island, NY 10301.
---------------------------------------------------------
Assistant Professor of Exerecise Physiology
KINESIOLOGY DEPARTMENT, Cal Poly State University, San Luis
Obispo, CA, is accepting applications for a full-time, academic year,
tenure track, assistant professor of exercise physiology, beginning
September 8, 2008. Teach exercise physiology, sports nutrition,
exercise prescription, and activity classes at the undergraduate level,
and exercise physiology and research methods at the graduate level;
develop and maintain research activities appropriate to academic
responsibilities with external funding and occasional external
validation; supervise undergraduate and graduate student research and
PolyFit program. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and
experience, within the CSU assistant professor salary range.
Required qualifications: Completed doctorate
in exercise/work physiology or a related field is required at the time
of appointment.
Preferred qualifications: university teaching
and research experience, American College of Sports Medicine/American
Society of Exercise Physiologists certification (EPC) or ACSM RCEP;
American Heart Association/American Red Cross BLS/ACLS; clinical,
research, grant and publication history related to obesity/metabolic
syndrome/chronic cardiopulmonary/metabolic disease.
Please visit WWW.CALPOLYJOBS.ORG (search for
Requisition #101451) for additional details and to complete an online
faculty application; submit completed application to Requisition
#101451, then follow the instructions for attaching the following
documents to the online application:
(1) a curriculum vita
(2)
copies of transcripts from all colleges attended (an unofficial copy of
your transcripts may be submitted with this application, official
transcripts with confirmation of Ph.D. will be required prior to any
appointment)
(3) sample of scholarly work
(4) three current letters of reference
(5) a letter of application that includes your teaching philosophy and how that philosophy is incorporated in your teaching.
Please see online posting for instructions for
mailing materials if you are unable to attach any of these to your
online application.
Further department information can be found at: Kinesiology..Cal Poly State University or contact Steve Davis, Search Committee Chair, sdavis@calpoly.edu
Review of applications will begin November 26, 2007. Applications after this date may be considered.
Cal Poly is strongly committed to achieving
excellence through diversity. The university actively encourages
applications by all qualified individuals. EEO.
---------------------------------------------------------
Exercise Biologist
Washington
State University Program in Health Sciences (Exercise Physiology and
Metabolism) invites applications for a nine-month, full-time,
permanent, tenure-track appointment at the level of Assistant or
Associate Professor (depending on qualifications) located at the WSU
Spokane campus. Position is available August 2008.
Position Description: The
successful candidate will be expected to teach, maintain a focused line
of research with significant extramural funding, and participate in the
service missions of the university. Required qualifications include a
doctoral degree in a relevant area before first date of employment and
evidence of scholarly productivity with potential for extramural
funding. Preferred qualifications include post-doctoral experience in
an area relevant to exercise biology with research emphasis in, but not
limited to, cellular signaling, molecular, genomic, and/or proteomic
approaches to address the role of exercise in chronic disease
prevention or management, and excellent communication skills. Salary
will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Applicant
screening begins November 1, 2007.
To apply, send the following items to the Search Committee Clerical Manager (see below):
·Letter of application addressing qualifications and responsibilities
·Curriculum vitae
·Names of three references with mail and email addresses and phone numbers*
·Narrative
of research plan, including information on grant applications recently
submitted (abstract, agency to which it was submitted, amount
requested, status of funding) and planned (title, brief summary)
·Statement of teaching philosophy
*References will not be contacted until candidate approval is secured.
Send information to:
Saren Kennedy
Search Committee Clerical Manager
Attention: E. Carolyn Johnson, PhD, FACSM
College of Pharmacy
Washington State University Spokane
P.O. Box 1495
Spokane, WA 99210-1495
PH: (509) 358-7630
FAX (509) 358-7627
email: saren@wsu.edu(PDF format preferred)
For more information contact:
E. Carolyn Johnson, PhD, FACSM
Search Committee Chair
Associate Professor
Program in Health Sciences (Exercise Physiology and Metabolism)
College of Pharmacy
Washington State University Spokane
P.O. Box 1495
Spokane, WA 99210-1495
PH: (509) 368-6733
email: ecarolj@mail.wsu.edu
WSU is an EEO/AA Educator and Employer.
---------------------------------------------------------
Exercise Physiologist, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Part Time, Days/Flex, 40 Hours Biweekly
As the premier healthcare facility in Bucks
County, PA, and its most comprehensive, we offer more as a healthcare
provider and as an employer. Expect to be challenged to new levels at
our exceptional facilities, including the county's only
state-accredited Trauma Center, an impressive Heart Center, a regional
Cancer Center, a major orthopedics program and exceptional women's
services. But also expect to find greater satisfaction with our
friendly environment, great benefits and inspirational setting on a
beautiful 53-acre campus.
Bucks County's premier medical facility can
offer you a competitive compensation package, including competitive
salaries with increased rates. Full benefits after 1st month of hire,
including pension plan, 403B, free parking, tuition reimbursement and
on-site childcare.
Responsible for providing monitored exercise
therapy and patient education for the Comprehensive Cardiac
Rehabilitation program, both inpatient and outpatient.
Our successful candidate must meet the following qualifications:
· Bachelor's degree & ACSM certification as Exercise Physiologist/Exercise Specialist required
· Experience a must
· Master's degree & ACLS would be assets
EOE, M/F/D/V
---------------------------------------------------------
Director - Consumer Experience Lab
Location: Kohler, WI
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE Under
the direction of the Vice President-Industrial Design this position
will have knowledge in areas that include biomechanics, psychology and
physiology towards gaining a deeper understanding of tomorrow's
consumer. With the benefit of trend sighting and contextualizing, focus
in on the future influences and changes that effect people. Have
connections to outside experts with the knowledge and foresight to
bring the right resources together as needed. Uncover opportunities in
the form of desired experiences, methods to benefit issues based on
health, well-being, aging, injury, etc. that will enhance the lives of
our target consumers.
Areas of study for this group include:
Trend sighting and contextualizing
Domain mapping that supports Strategic Planning and NPS
Consumer/User targeted learning in the following areas:
Biomechanics, psychology and physiology
More
specifically to Kohler -- Personal hygiene, hydrotherapy, sensory
impact, the aging process, health and wellness, bio-mechanics and
cognitive thinking
Identify new product opportunities as result of above learning.
The basic ergonomics of safety and comfort.
Support the NPD community with concept testing
Understand Global differences relative to the above
User interface design
Must be highly motivated to lead a creative
team of researchers, project teams and consultants, staying ahead of
our competitors in all aspects of innovation. This research lead focus
must take Kohler ahead in time, yet maintain a solid foundation.
This team-spirited individual must be able to
lead through demonstration, influence, skill, and passion for the work.
Someone who can draw the best from their associates while maintaining a
happy, healthy work environment and demonstrates knowledge and
abilities in the areas of current trend mining methodologies, an
understanding of and an empathy for a changing world culture. Strive
toward comprehension of basic business principles.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
A
Masters or Doctorate Degree in a sociology, psycho-physiology,
psychology, or anthropology with emphasis on product design
applications. Eight to ten years experience.
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Thank you for perusing our opinions, facts and opportunities in this edition of the ASEP-Newsletter.
Sincerely,
Lonnie Lowery
American Society of Exercise Physiologists |
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