Philosophy of Exercise Physiology Matters
Recently, while talking with a colleague from another university, I was surprised that he thought exercise physiologists had a philosophy of exercise physiology. You might expect that exercise physiology is founded on a philosophy, but that isn’t the case at all. Or, I should say that it isn’t true, at least not a well-developed sense of what is exercise physiology much less who is an exercise physiologist. Isn’t it shocking to discover that exercise physiologists outside of the ASEP organization have no clue?
As I stated many times in PEPonline articles, a thorough assessment of what is being taught to doctorate students. If, as it seems more than likely, university exercise physiology departments are churning out research sophisticated but intellectually stunted graduates that don’t understand the underpinnings of exercise physiology, then urgent reforms to the curriculum are required because such people aren’t really educated exercise physiologists at all.
It is imperative that students in exercise physiology doctorate programs have a strong foundation in the philosophy of exercise physiology. When they graduate they can promote the professionalism of exercise physiology, but only if they are educated to the philosophy of exercise physiology.
Why not develop a professionalism course to be taught to all exercise physiologists? Why not emphasize the ASEP leadership’s efforts to transition exercise physiology from the 20th century to the 21st century? Also, why not do the same at all levels of the students’ education, undergraduate and graduate? All students of exercise physiology lack knowledge of what is professionalism, who is a professional, and why professional organizations, like ASEP, are important?
It is time to start thinking right about a philosophy of exercise physiology.