Image of Exercise Physiology:
Influences of ASEP and its Leadership
Tommy Boone, PhD,
MPH, MA, FASEP, EPC
Professor and Chair
Director, Exercise
Physiology Laboratories
Department of Exercise
Physiology
The College of St.
Scholastica
“We write our own destiny…We
become what we do.” – Madame Chiang Kai-Shek
WHAT DOES IT MEAN to be a professional
exercise physiologist? How does the public view exercise physiology?
Equally important (and, perhaps, more importantly) how does exercise physiologists
define and view what they do? From a personal perspective, it was
just recently that yet again in discussing accreditation with a university
professor that there is still no definition of exercise physiology on which
exercise physiologists agree. To some, it is not more than the study
of acute and chronic responses and adaptations to exercise and training.
What constitutes the physiology of exercise and training is itself a life’s
work. Yet, the knowledge per se does not define a profession.
The current thinking in exercise physiology is that it is necessary to
change the public image of exercise physiologists. This article addresses
the role of ASEP in the development of exercise physiology as a profession.
It also explores the journey yet to be visited in not only the evolving
healthcare profession but within the public sector at large.
The “Image” of Exercise Physiology
Most exercise physiologists do not
get the big picture of why ASEP is important. They still hold tight
to the old beliefs that “the” exercise physiologist is either the PhD-prepared
professional or the master-prepared person with a sports medicine certification.
Historically speaking, this has been the understanding. Today, the
future of exercise physiology depends entirely on a new way of thinking.
It is no longer reasonable or right to embrace the old way of thinking.
That image is no longer an option. We have evolved and will continue
to do so even under conditions of significant disagreement by the old establishment.
Yet they too will eventually come to understand if not embrace the new
definition of exercise physiology [1].
The art of awareness is hard to come
by and seldom commanded at will. It is a jaw-breaker when truth strikes
home and intuition is reality. To all of which this message may come
as a challenge to personal feelings, please find comfort in my uneasiness
in sharing a glance toward the future. Most of all, my words come
from the heart as they should, not as philosopher, but above all as a ministry
to those who harbor the secret that the students of exercise physiology
deserve more. It is in this sense that the image of exercise physiology
is consistent with the emerging profession that offers the public sector
the exercise physiology perspective on healthcare and the importance place
on that service.
Hence, the question “What do we mean
by actions directed from the heart?” The ASEP perspective has yet
to be understood by the public and understandably so. The sports
medicine approach was designed to benefit the organization. No one
really understood or apparently cared about the undergraduate or the need
to build a profession to care for its members. Sadly, they simply
were not prepared to think about the rights of the exercise physiologist
to their own profession. This uncharacteristic oversight of caring
for the members is fully consistent with the sports medicine image of exercise
physiology. Today, it is an outcry of injustice of extraordinary
work by assertive members who humble themselves before the “all-powerful”
leaders who refuse to acknowledge that ASEP exists.
A Profession: What is its Importance?
To those who understand it, intuition
is a gift. It is also an awareness of life-changing forces understood
only by the inspired. Yet, nothing (or very little) is created without
the extraordinary awareness, willingness, and presence to not just reflect
on but submit to the discoveries of the mind. ASEP exists because
of the art of being aware. For it is certain that intuition and one’s
innate power are not necessarily the same. There is always inspiration.
Intuition is special! Living a dream is inspiration! Believing
in possibilities is a walk few understand or who are willing to endure.
The meaning of the title “exercise
physiology professional” has for years been defined either by the PhD degree
or by the clinical significance of the master’s degree from the sports
medicine point of view [2]. Little controversy exists in this understanding,
such as it is. From the view of the professor, the thinking is right
and yet no one has challenged it. At least no one has taken issue
with it until the founding of the ASEP organization. The new thinking
embraced by the ASEP perspective is one of respect for students, the consideration
for their academic preparation, and whether their program of study is sufficient
to raise their financial recompense. The educated exercise physiologist,
even with an undergraduate degree in exercise physiology, has the right
to demand a share of the “respect” and “reward” defined by a profession.
While this topic has been evaluated
before, it is clear that exercise physiology is an emerging profession.
To continue to view it as a discipline is a reference to the inertia of
yesterday’s thinking. Exercise physiology is intellectual as it has
evolved from a great understanding of practical anatomy and physiology
derived from laboratory experiences characteristic only of exercise physiologists.
They have come to identify with their own code of ethics and their own
special membership defined by ASEP yet motivated by altruism and the good
of society. Others may disagree, but it really doesn’t manner as
time has led us to the next level of thinking.
The educated exercise physiologist
is no longer to be regarded as a technician or an exercise specialist,
but as one who has knowledge and is worthy of respect and professional
consideration. As the standard of academic study and accreditation
requirements increase even further, the professional exercise physiologist
will take on a greater share of the healthcare concerns of the public sector.
They will increasingly define themselves as experts in the health promotion
and as managers of wellness. Instead of majoring in exercise physiology
to pursue another professional field of work, exercise physiologists will
control their profession and demonstrate a commitment centered upon a common
identity and distinctive attitude of what is exercise physiology.
Professionalism is a process of some
years in the making. Fortunately, those of us who have been “sleeping
professors” have now looked at what we have not done and see the possibilities
in doing what we should have been doing all along. Our destiny is
in our hands. ASEP is instrumental in this most exciting and significant
role in empowering exercise physiologists. Because it is a fully
independent organization and publishes its own electronic journals with
its own Boards of Certification and Accreditation, its impact and its image
are significant in both educational and practice issues. After the
founding of ASEP, it is much harder for anyone to say that they are an
exercise physiologist. It is only within the 21st century that exercise
physiology became a credentialed profession.
The Exercise Physiology Credential
A credentialed profession is defined
simply as a collection of individuals who have agreed upon a minimum level
of college education that is necessary to work as a professional in the
field. Presently, the ASEP credential is the EPC exam [3] that indicates
a certain level of education. The EPC credential carries with it
legal implications that impact the individual, the institution, and the
public. It is the professional attainment of the Board Certified
title, the EPC, that indicates a successful achievement in academic and
hands-on standards.
In order to practice exercise physiology,
as defined by the ASEP Standards of Professional Practice [4], the candidate
must successfully complete the EPC exam. After passing the exam,
the college graduate may use the title Board Certified Exercise Physiologist
and the initials EPC after his/her name. The ASEP Board of Directors
[5] controls the practice of exercise physiology through its Standards.
It is the responsibility of the EPC exercise physiologist to adhere to
the standards and the requirement that requires continuing education credits
to maintain the credential and title.
The exercise physiologist certification
is still new to the field. Those who understand it recognize its
value, both in title and salary increase. The latter is expected
as the public comes to understand the issues of certification, standardization,
accreditation, and licensure. Along with a better salary there is
also an expected increase in respect for the exercise physiologist as a
professional healthcare practitioner.
Entry into the Practice of Exercise
Physiology
For many years exercise physiologists
have believed that the PhD degree is “the” entry into exercise physiology.
The ASEP position runs counter to this thinking. Members of the Board
of Directors are convinced that the baccalaureate degree ought to be the
entry level of education for the practice of exercise physiology.
With accreditation of existing programs and changes in department titles,
academic titles, and curriculum to match the expectations of the Board
of Accreditation, there will be improved work opportunities in the public
sector. These opportunities will result from an increased understanding
of the ASEP Standards of Professional Practice that will also increase
the independent functions of exercise physiologists and their roles in
athletics, rehabilitation, and healthcare.
The arguments against the PhD degree
as the entry level of education into the field are many. Several
important ones include the appreciation of the costs and time required
for every exercise physiologists in getting the doctorate degree.
There is also the question of where will all the PhDs work? They
cannot be driven into the college and university sector where there simply
are not enough academic or research positions. Even if every exercise
physiologist wanted the PhD degree, which is not the case, it is not necessary
to have the PhD to practice exercise physiology. This is exactly
the thinking with the nursing professional where the entry level requirement
is the baccalaureate degree. And, in terms of actual client-professional
healthcare and fitness interactions, there is no evidence to support the
idea that the PhD exercise physiologist is more effective than the baccalaureate
graduates who are EPCs. There is very little reason to continue debating
this point, which is consistent with Winston Churchill’s statement, “If
we spend all our time debating the past we shall lose the future.”
What Is the History of Baccalaureate
Exercise Physiology?
After several hours of Internet
searching for a college or university with an undergraduate academic degree
in exercise physiology, most potential students as well as professors in
the field are forced to conclude that few if any baccalaureate programs
[by title] exist. The problem is that 99% of the academic programs
with some emphasis on exercise physiology is so “generic” that the hybrid
of course offerings is essentially meaningless to build career from.
This is why the majority of such programs exist as a “science based” approach
to the generic major that is by title one of several dozen names.
These programs do not prepare an exercise physiology professional.
Instead, they are “service programs” – said to exist for the purpose of
sending students on to physical therapy, nursing, or other notions about
medicine and so forth. In actuality, the number and depth of the
science courses in these programs are weak. Most importantly, the
combination of prerequisite courses in the biological and chemical sciences,
mathematics, and computer training is substantially less than required
of more traditional areas of study.
In this discussion, it is not enough
to talk about establishing an exercise physiology program by curriculum.
Any original proposal of coming to terms with an exercise physiology program
within a college or university setting requires that the program is a baccalaureate
degree in exercise physiology. An undergraduate degree is superior
to and consistent with accreditation than a concentration or emphasis track.
Hence, this is the direction the education in exercise physiology must
go to become a recognized profession. Professors, in particular,
who oppose changing such titles as kinesiology or human performance, or
exercise science with a concentration in course work defined as exercise
physiology will have to come to terms with the reality and inadequacy of
today’s programs.
The current preparation of exercise
physiology students is a mess in the United States. The problems
that have resulted from these programs for the past 20 years have not captured
our thinking. Instead of going for the entire loaf of bread, the
PhD exercise physiologists have settled for half a loaf. While working
to secure promotion and/or tenure, the compromise has done little but create
confusion for the undergraduates. Professors who teach exercise physiology
courses and who present themselves as exercise physiologists must appreciate
that their failure to change the system is symbolic to that of being only
half right. And, in this case, half right is a failure in the same
sense that “half a belief is no belief at all” [6].
Accountability is Important
Accountability for academic performance
ought to be required for maintaining employment. Unfortunately, the
history of exercise physiology under the direction of the college teacher
is not what it should be or could have been. The equation for success
is simple: success equals commitment. Without the single-minded focus
to achieve the ASEP vision, students will continue to be victimized by
the lack of accountability. This is true regardless of how some of
my colleagues may want to describe the “battlefield”. There are winners
and there are those who feel they have lost [7]. For those of us
who could have done better early on, we should have. In fact, as
I write this article, and as a college teacher, my promise (however unspoken
or required) was to serve and maximize the academic strengths of my students.
Teachers must fulfill their responsibility to the student, not just half
of the student.
A Commitment to the Future
As a member of the ASEP Board of
Directors, I am now 100% serving the student. My commitment is absolute
in that it requires me to put everything on the table. Going for
broke is seldom a serious thought. Helping to create ASEP was not
a random step, but planned. Overall improvement in exercise physiology
had to come about through new thinking and boldness. It is about
“believing in possibilities” and, yes, about putting all of one’s eggs
in one basket. This is the commitment made by ASEP leaders.
They have come together with a commitment to the students and to the emerging
professional of exercise physiology. It is now as Pollard states
in his book [6], “The Soul of the Firm” –
“We are all prisoners of
our hope. It is our hope that sustains us. It is our vision
of what could be that inspires us and those we lead.”
The changing exercise physiology profile
is directly a function of the hope invested in the different style, mission,
and goals of the members of the ASEP organization. Obviously, it
has also become clear that the most effective leadership style of today
is different from yesterday. As with other professions, the most
critical step in the complex process of developing a profession is the
specificity of problem solving and the decision making made by the professionals
in the field. It is, therefore, problematic to allow decision making
to continue as an outcome of the sports medicine myth [8]. Because
of this, an emerging profession is like child. To realize its full
potential, it first has to grow. Not all organizations are growing
as well as they should, so there are problems and bad choices. Because
it is time that exercise physiologists should have their own organization,
it is time they nurture the child and transfer to it a specific kind of
care and support. This is communication and the commitment that allows
for an increase in credibility.
What Lies Ahead?
The answer to this question depends
on who “owns the problem”? To me, we own the problem, therefore,
the answer lies in our willingness to change ourselves. Here are
some ways of engineering an attitude, if not, an understanding of what
must be done to cope successfully with the future.
1. Organization is about
people. It is about managing concerns and getting a better grip
on the meaning of leadership and about being a leader.
2. Leadership is about caring.
There is everything wrong with selfish views and everything right with
a caring personality. This is rather obvious, but the model for change
is something new in exercise physiology.
3. Professional beliefs result
from a reason. Many organizations and potential leaders command
respect yet fail to empower their members. Change is prepared by
choices resulting from the will and the confidence to lead.
4. Energy is not just an experience
but a reality. Think of it this way. If exhaustion is the
opposite of having energy, ASEP is the reality of its sports medicine failure.
5. ASEP is about increasing hope.
Just as “True leadership is the ability to turn vision into results” [9]
– ASEP is the way to increasing job opportunities, economic security, and
professional friendships with a sense of confidence and shared fulfillment.
6. Taking responsibility is a
shift in perspective. We learn from recognizing what it takes to have
vision and to live with passion.
7. Exercise physiologists can
learn from sports medicine, but the opposite is not true. Being
“aware” of finally seeing one’s own power and its measurable influences
exceeds the past. Listen to your heart and what you believe to be true.
8. Take risks, think, communicate,
and share feelings. If you want a future, be willing to communicate
your feelings. Remember, sincerity and heart are everything and more!
9. Leadership is a decision that
comes from within. And there’s more. This is the reason
for understanding the “image” of exercise physiology that is within us,
created by us, enabled by us, and shared with others by us.
10. Vision and heart create reality.
What we are, where we end up, and how we get there are functions of choices
that only guides our thinking but creates our reality. It is therefore
critical to what lies ahead that we start by getting to know who we are,
what our values are, and our sense of beliefs about health, fitness, rehabilitation,
and athletics.
Conclusions
In Transforming Knowledge, Elizabeth
Minnich says, the goal is “to think ourselves free, to free our own thinking”
[10]. Here, thinking ourselves free starts with questions: What happened
to those bold physical educators who founded exercise physiology?
Would they have continued with or allowed for the problems our students
face today? What is going on inside sports medicine that fails to
account for the rights of others to organize around their own ideas?
Why is the act of creating one’s future an act of distrust by those who
don’t understand? Why is it that we don’t talk enough, stand up for
our rights, and celebrate who we are? Who are we if only others can
create great ideas? Why is it that we grow less like our true image
and more like what others think when we fail to travel and fight for our
right to journey our own path?
References
1. Boone, T. (2001). Professional
Development of Exercise Physiology. Lewiston, NY: The Edwin Mellen Press.
2. Boone, T. (1999). What’s In a
Title? Professionalization of Exercise Physiology - online. Vol 2 No 1
January. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/fldr/terms6.htm
3. American Society of Exercise
Physiologists. (2002). Information for EPC - Exercise Physiologist Certified
- Candidates: A Guide. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/EPCManual.html
4. American Society of Exercise
Physiologists. (2002). ASEP Standards of Professional Practice. [Online].
http://www.css.edu/ASEP/StandardsofProfessionalPractice.html
5. American Society of Exercise
Physiologists. (2002). Charter. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/execbod.htm
6. Pollard, C. W. (1996). The Soul
of the Firm. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, p. 134, p. 145.
7. American Society of Exercise
Physiologists. (2002). ASEPNewsletter. Vol 5 No 9 May. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/ASEPNewsletterMay2002.html
8. Boone, T. (2001). The Sports
Medicine Myth. Professionalization of Exercise Physiology - online. Vol
4 No 7 July. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/SportsMedicineMyth.html
9. Bender, P.U. (1997). Leadership
From Within. Toronto, Canada: Stoddart Publishing Company, Limited, p.
8.
10. Minnich, E. K. (1990). Transforming
Knowledge. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, pp. 37-38.