The Coming of Age of the Professional Organization
Tommy Boone, PhD, MPH, FASEP, EPC
Professor and Chair
Department of Exercise Physiology
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN 55811

This brief article is about a person’s attitude, especially how a person views the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP).  Is it a positive or a negative attitude of ASEP?  How about yourself? Have you looked at the ASEP website [1]?  Are you conflicted or ambivalent towards the ASEP leaders and their work to promote the professionalism of exercise physiology?  Have you allowed years of beliefs and assumptions hold you back from joining ASEP?  Are you afraid of being a member of a new organization, one that will take years of hard work and even failure to succeed?   Understandably, most people like a sure thing and the majority often goes with the established thinking.  After all, it is safer and the easier path. 

In a nutshell, it is more than reasonable to argue that the ASEP leaders have done only what should have been done decades ago.  For example, they developed an inspiring vision and aligned it with the professionally strategic steps (e.g., code of ethics, accreditation, and certification) to launch the first-ever professional organization of exercise physiologists.  They took time to envision the future of exercise physiology from the board certified exercise physiologist’s perspective.  All they have ever asked of colleagues is to “have a little faith in them.”  Collective, we can make a difference in the quality of career opportunities for students throughout the United States.    

 But first, a person must have the right attitude if he or she is to see a change in exercise physiology as it is presently viewed by many college teachers.  Second, you must believe that you can make a difference, that our shared dream can become our shared reality.  Thomas Jefferson said it best, “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” 

Attitude has been a part of essentially everything the ASEP leaders have done.  The right attitude allows for opportunities that others don’t see.  The ASEP leaders believe this, and they believe you do have a choice in life.  Either you can accomplish something (even from a distance) while you are part of exercise physiology or you can allow things to stay as they have been for decades.  Remember the expression, “Why lie in wait?”  Well, it is true.  Why not stop waiting and become part of the ASEP change process.

If you are afraid of being misunderstood, forget about it.  Life is full of events, ideas, and challenges that aren’t fully understood, but important anyway.  Those who aren’t willing to embrace ASEP will say what they want to.  You can’t stop them.  It is all part of the learning curve, including your willingness to take a punch.  Meaning, most importantly, don’t waste your energy thinking about those who don’t get the importance of ASEP or its vision for a better future for all exercise physiologists.  Instead, set your goals towards professionalism and credibility.  Be courageous.  Keep the ASEP vision crystal-clear in you mind. 

If you are a student, think about your professors and their role and responsibility in the practice of exercise physiology.  Are they members of the ASEP organization?  Do you know if they have attended an ASEP national meeting? Do your teachers promote the development of professional values and behaviors among students?  If they don’t, why is that?  Do you feel that the teaching of an attitude that undergirds professionalism needs to be enhanced at your school?  Of course these questions are not hypothetical.  There are plenty of students considering them, but not necessarily acting on them.  The “coming of age” of a professional organization is new to academic exercise physiologists. 

Answers to the questions are likely to be disappointing for many students, given that most college level exercise physiologists do not belong to ASEP.  The professionalism of exercise physiology is not part of the standard curriculum in 99.9% of the college programs.  Why, then, do students get information about professionalism, code of ethics, and standards of practice?  The short answer is – It doesn’t exist!  Coincident with this dilemma to advance professionalism as other healthcare professions are doing, recent decades have witnessed a growing lack of awareness to complete indifference to the ethical problems that result from sports nutritionists consulting for sports supplement companies.  Many colleagues simply turn a blind eye to the consulting.  Without a means to define professional behavior in the classroom, the sports nutritionist (who is 90% of the time an exercise physiologist) can (and does) engage in misleading and conflicting lectures.  Of course, there really isn’t any reason the students would know what the teacher is doing or why and, therefore, the questionable behavior goes unchallenged.

Just this week my son picked up a book I had sent to the publisher months ago.  “Wow, it’s already published?”  he said in a surprised manner.  “Aren’t most books published rather quickly?  I said to myself.  Then, he said “You know, it’s going to be years and years before exercise physiologists wake up and understand why they need their own professional organization”  I didn’t disagree. The false thinking expressed in exercise science has become a standard way to think among many college teachers.  Yet, exercise science is not a profession.  It isn’t even a credible academic degree and, for many who have the degree, it is a meaningless college degree. 

Taking a deep breath I said to my son, “We are living in a time not unlike the “coming of age” of physical therapy in the early 1900s.”  The ASEP leaders get this point and that is why they are blazing the way so that others may find it, too.  To the attentive eye, each page of my book [2], The Professionalization of Exercise Physiology: Certification, Accreditation, and Standards of Practice of the American Society of Exercise Physiologists, is designed to illustrate an important point to promote and sustain the birth of another day towards the professionalism of exercise physiology.  My hope is that the content encourages the reader to look beyond yesterday’s way of thinking to behold the beauty of exercise physiology as a healthcare profession.

If exercise physiologists would only step up to the plate of change they could hasten the reversal of the deprofessionalization that is so apparent within academics.  But, to do so, they would have to acknowledge the ASEP vision [3] and strategic core values that center primarily on accreditation and board certification.  They would have to direct their attention to the strengthening and improvement of their will power (attitude) to fuel the change process.  Or, perhaps, said somewhat differently, they would have to have an valid argument why not doing so will allow exercise physiology to grow as a profession.  Unfortunately, there is no credibility without the desire for truth and ethics.  So what happens is that many exercise physiologists live a profound indifference to the work of the ASEP leaders and the things that matter.

I forgot to say what my son also said, “I hate to think that college teachers can’t get their attitude right, but that is the problem -- isn’t it?”  Imagine the time wasted.  Imagine, if only they would look within themselves, they would know the right path.  If only they would leave behind feelings such as, “This is the way it has always been.”  If only they would come to understand their shared history of failed rhetoric, they would know the importance of accepting accountability for their actions.  If only they would advocate for policies that support professional development of exercise physiology and nothing else, life would be 100% different for students who graduating from college this month.   

The ASEP leadership has a plan for the future, and they have the right attitude to see it through.  They also have the right strategic plan to see that the ASEP vision becomes a shared reality within exercise physiology.  This is why the ASEP vision is aligned with the needs of the membership to maximizes their investment in a college education.  The focus is on the future (i.e., what exercise physiologists want).  Thus, it requires breaking new ground by thinking outside the box to deliver on their assumptions of improving exercise physiology.   In short, it is as W. Edwards Deming said, “It is not enough to just do your best or work hard; You must know what to work on.”

It doesn’t take vision to do the wrong thing, but it does take vision to do the right thing (i.e., promote exercise physiology as a healthcare profession).  “Coming of age” is the act of giving life to images and cognitive impressions of what exercise physiology.  It begins with the right attitude; one that is forward-looking and ahead of its time.  For example, since exercise is the new 21st century medicine, then it is just a matter of time that exercise physiologists will be recognized as an integral part of medicine.  It is an attitude of something better (such as accreditation), and it is about the ASEP share effort to increase the credibility of exercise physiologists.  Coming of age is therefore all about exhibiting concern and empathy for others, especially at graduation when there is so much change and uncertainty. 

To this end, the ASEP leaders have made it clear that the profession of exercise physiology should be fully-integrated into healthcare.  However, to do so requires the involvement of the academic exercise physiologists to enhance the professional status of exercise physiology, to transform exercise physiology from a discipline into a mature profession, one on par with medicine, law, engineering, physical therapy, and social work.  Exercise physiologists must therefore come together to demonstrate a strong sense of ownership of exercise physiology.  In fact, to be part of a profession, members are expected to demonstrate a caring concern for each other and teachers must care for their students, especially in developing their self-esteem, character, and respect for learning. 

This is why “coming of age” required the ASEP leaders to build the organizational infrastructure to support and define professionalism in exercise physiology.  The ASEP organization is the 21st century view for exercise physiology professionalism in United States, one designed to ensure that board certified exercise physiologists are more than a gym instructor who holds the client’s hand and determines heart rate.  The leadership believes that exercise physiologists should have the same rights, privileges, and benefits of other healthcare professionals, especially the ever-present concerns that deal with mind-body medicine.  This is also why exercise physiologists need their own professional code of practice [4].  The need for the exercise physiologist’s own Code of Ethics has existed for a long time. With the increase in the client or patient’s right to hold professionals accountable to civil and legal action if their service is not rendered properly, it is necessary that exercise physiologists “come of age” and fully support the ASEP Code of Ethics. 

The development of national accreditation standards and other related measures designed to professionalize exercise physiology can be found on the ASEP website.  The purpose of these documents is to highlight the fact that exercise physiology is not an incidental just-only fitness dimension mastered from an athletic orientation point of view, but rather from a highly complex blend of hands-on and theoretical mind-body academic experiences. The purpose of the ASEP accreditation is to fortify the image of the exercise physiologists as a highly educated, autonomous professionals with requisite professional and scientific knowledge who are credible professionals. 

The registration of board certified exercise physiologists, the development of national standards, professional autonomy driven by the ASEP standards of practice [5], and a code of conduct are but some of the measures taken by the ASEP leaders to prepare exercise physiologists to carry out complex and vital work in healthcare.  These standards constitute the benchmark by which the 21st century exercise physiologists are prepared to work in healthcare.  The standards also help to ensure a high level of teaching and practice to equip students with the necessary professional skills and capabilities they need to prosper in the healthcare community

This means board certified exercise physiologists are obligated to attend to the healthcare of their clients rather than their self-interest.  Further, they are held accountable to their clients, and to society on issues of health, fitness, rehabilitation, and sports training as well as to their profession.  Still further, they are obligated to a life-long commitment to the skills and scientific knowledge that defines exercise physiology, the obligation to being fair, truthful, and straightforward in their dealings and interactions with clients and the profession while being respectful of their clients and others. 

Board certified exercise physiologists will be in great demand with increasing age of the population.  In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of adults age 65 and older is expected to double from 35 million in 2000 to 70 million by 2030 as the baby boomers enter their seventh decade.  Just imagine what exercise physiologists can do for adults age 65 and older. Exercise is medicine and everyone is finally figuring out that exercise physiologists are the experts in prescribing exercise.  Without a doubt, more healthcare professionals have come to the understanding that exercise is medicine.   

It is easy to sell the popular notion that fitness is in and that fatness is a health problem.  Everyone wants to be healthy.  Most people want to look good.  More people today have gotten the message that they are responsible in a large way for their health and quality of life.  But when it comes to who is the professional in prescribing exercise, the public and even many healthcare professionals believe that personal trainers to physical therapists or even nurses are equal to the responsibilities of the board certified exercise physiologist.  This just isn’t the case.  The idea that so-called fitness instructors or exercise scientists are scientifically prepared to prescribe exercise safely and on the same professional level as board certified exercise physiologists is wrong.  Aside from this thinking, there is far more to the exercise prescription process that entails lifestyle assessments, especially that of understanding cardiovascular system with proper physiological analyses and other dimensions of a client’s life. 

There are volumes upon volumes of scientific evidence that shows exercise and stress management training offer a progressive and systematic means to helping individuals with and without ischemic heart disease (and other diseases and disabilities).  This is why  the ASEP leadership raised the academic benchmark for the academic programs in exercise physiology.  They believe the shared interest in the professional development of exercise physiology is gaining momentum as other healthcare professionals learn of the ASEP website and the work of the leadership.  It also demonstrates that a professional organization of credible exercise physiologists can mean the creation of a practical, attractive, comfortable, and cost-efficient inroad into helping people live a better and longer life. 

In sum, the message of this article is simple:  The ASEP organization is the members’ comparative advantage to what has existed for decades with other healthcare professions, and all exercise physiologists need to exploit it fully both in school and when working in the public sector.  Hence, what is happening now proves that exercise physiologists have always needed their own professional organization, that the idea itself has come of age in the 21st century.  We must learn to think differently and in new ways to employ what we learn.  It is imperative that we do so.  The ASEP organization is not only an integral part of the genius of change but also the only uniquely American resource at the disposal of all exercise physiologists, and we must exploit it fully.

The potential for great things through exercise as medicine is not only achievable, but excellent for the profession of exercise physiology, the health of the members of society, and as well for the college students who are interested in the profession.  Change is afoot in the way that exercise is seen as a medication and, perhaps, the equivalent of medicine when prescribed by board certified exercise physiologists.  So what does this mean for exercise physiologists and for those who want to be in the profession?  To some extent, the answer to the question is counterintuitive.  The history of the last 70 to 90 years confirms the work of well-recognized healthcare professions while also confirming the disquieting conundrum of the lack of leadership in exercise physiology. 

In sum, to participate in the 21st century world of healthcare, exercise physiologists must decide to come together with the right attitude.  It is absolutely necessary that students get a credible college education, not merely a degree that requires them to go back to school to start all over [6].  Hence, it is imperative that exercise physiology students who aspire to success must take charge of their education.  This means it is imperative that the academic exercise physiologists must make sure their students are paying for a credible academic degree that is career driven.  Remember, as we go into the future together, the change process is not an overnight event.  The process of becoming a profession of board certified exercise physiologist is an ongoing learning experience.

_____________________________

References

1.     American Society of Exercise Physiologists. (2009). ASEP Contact Page. [Online]. http://www.asep/org/

2.     Boone, T. (2009). The Professionalization of Exercise Physiology: Certification, Accreditation, and Standards of Practice of the American Society of Exercise Physiologists. Lewiston, NY: The Edwin Mellen Press.

3.     American Society of Exercise Physiologists. (2009). ASEP Vision. [Online]. http://asep.org/organization

4.     American Society of Exercise Physiologists. (2009). Code of Ethics. [Online]. http://asep.org/organization/ethics

5.     American Society of Exercise Physiologists. (2009). Standards of Professional Practice. [Online]. http://asep.org/services/standards

6.     Boone, T. (2009). Exercise Science is Not a Sound College Investment. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline. 13:3 [Online].  http://faculty.css.edu/tboone2/asep/ExerciseScienceIsPoorCollegeInvestment.docx