PEPonline
Professionalization
of Exercise Physiologyonline

An international electronic
journal for exercise physiologists
ISSN 1099-5862

Vol 4 No 3 March 2001

 

Marketing Exercise Physiology 
is Every Exercise Physiologist's Responsibility!
Mark Kaelin,MS, CSCS
Exercise Physiologist
Southern Indiana Rehab Hospital


Just like any other product or company, exercise physiologists need to sell and market their professional services.  It does not matter where they work (e.g., in a hospital or outpatient clinic setting, the college or university environment, at the local gym or in a wellness center, or even as a personal trainer or a strength coach).  To help insure a rewarding and financially solvent career, members of the public sector need to know why they should use the services of an exercise physiologist.  By acting responsibly in marketing the emerging profession, both the career of individals and collectively exercise physiologists in general benefit.

Marketing is therefore every exercise physiologist's responsibility!  In so doing, however, it is imperative that members of the profession think long term.  In a prior editorial published in PEPonline, it was pointed out that the reader can not measure exercise physiology with a 75 year-old yardstick.  Point in fact, it has taken decades for many professions to develop.  The American Society of Exercise Physiologists, as a professional organization, and the emerging profession of exercise physiology needs time to develop and to mature. During the maturation process, exercise physiologists should be actively involved in recruiting members to the profession. 

Of course, the question is "How can exercise physiologists help?"  One answer (and a short one at that) is that exercise physiologists simply need to work as a team.  Who doesn’t enjoy a team effort!  Every weekend millions of Americans are glued to their TV sets, watching their favorite team attempt to win.  Our homes and offices are filled with references to working together to accomplish a mutual goal. 

“...when the group does well, everyone benefits....” -- Rick Pitino

“There’s no I in team.”

Unfortunately, many times, professionals get caught up in day to day living and they abandon goals, teamwork, and discussions of long term planning.  When asked, they explain their behavior by saying, “Did you say, plan for the future, heck I’m just trying to make it through today!”  On a personal note, as a father of 17-month-old twins and half of a 2-parent working household, I understand emotionally and physically what it is like to be too busy.  But, realistically, everyone is busy! 

“The successful person has the habit of doing things failures don’t like to do. They don’t like doing them necessarily but their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose.” -- EM Gray 
Building the profession of exercise physiology will take teamwork and courage, and vision. Perhaps, it is a beginning and a positive way to think about getting involved, but building a profession does not have to involve 1000s of countless hours of sacrifice.  It is possible to make a significant difference by evaluating "your" current position and by observing areas in which YOU can make a contribution.  All of us can improve upon what we do, and we certainly can impact career opportunities and even help promote others in realizing new dreams and possibilities.  So, your saying to yourself, “Great, another article filled with platitudes and self-help slogans."  Guess what?  Platitudes and slogans can not pay the bills, but courage, teamwork, and synergism can.  To repeat, courage, even at a personal level, teamwork and belief in each other, and the positive synergy to make dreams happen can pay bills!  Of course, a good foundation for professional development takes time and, when done correctly, it helps to insure better paying jobs.  With increased financial stability, there is more money to pay the bills and to secure one's family.

But, again, it isn't that hard to hear such statements as, "I am too busy."   “I just don’t have the time”.   Or, “I need tenure, first, then I can work on that.”  Any of these statments sound familiar?  No one has enough time.  We have to make time for what is important to us.  It is possible to build your career and your profession simultaneously.  For example, many Ph.D. exercise physiologists are required too perform research and apply for grant money in additional to a variety of other academic responsibilities.  Similarly, many medical school faculty members have clinical as well as academic responsibilities.  Why not contact a local or regional medical school faculty member to see if they would be interested in working on a joint effort.  It is possible that with your expertise there are opportunities that you are not aware of.  The opportunities can help to further your career and actually add a variety of options to it as well.  Ask questions and seek out contacts with other professionals.  Let them know what your professional training is and how you can help them and thereby help yourself too.  In so doing, you also end up helping the profession grow by exposing exercise physiology to other professionals. 

Remember one very important point.  You do not need to be a Ph.D. to conduct research. If you are a bachelor or master prepared exercise physiologist working in a wellness center, hospital, or clinic, then think about designing a research project to answer questions about service, rehabilitation, and so forth.  Do your homework before contacting a physician or a company, know your subject matter, and be organized.  If you do these things, the chances are good that you will get the opportunity to direct the project, maybe make more money, and certainly inform others of your ability as a leader and researcher.  If you should need some special advice or direct, consider contacting the ASEP research committee and, where possible, use the backing of ASEP. 

Developing markets, cultivating referrals, expanding the research on the efficacy and usefulness of exercise and exercise physiologists should be done by all exercise physiologists (regardless of academic degrees).  However, exercise physiologist should not lull themselves into thinking that conducting research is the only way to build their profession. Marketing can be done in a variety of mediums. For example, writing an article for a local newspaper or magazine or addressing the public on the benefits of exercise at community meetings are very effective in increasing the public's awareness of exercise physiologists and ASEP.

In summary, where possible, take every opportunity to educate the public about exercise physiology, in general, and about exercise physiologists, in particular.  In doing so, you will help to insure your professional future and your colleagues will benefit, too.


Copyright ©1997-2001 American Society of Exercise Physiologists. All Rights Reserved.






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