“Exercise: Sounds Familiar!
“EXERCISE Physiology”
It really isn’t that important to conclude with certainty who believed in the value of exercise before all others got the message. But, just recently I read a book by William Wood, an instructor in physical education. His book, Manual of Physical Exercises, was published in 1867. It is an exceptionally well-written with excellent illustrations of many different kinds of exercises. What really hit me was his thinking about exercise per se. He said the following:
- It is the duty of every person to take care of the Body, and develop it as well as the Mind. – William Wood [1, p. 6]
I, too, understand that exercise is critical to our survival and, at one time, I was a physical educator. However, that was many years ago. Today, as an exercise physiologist, I wonder why, as EXERCISE physiologists, we are not doing more to protect our investment in EXERCISE since it is critical to what we are. We, perhaps, more so than other healthcare professions understand the power in exercise. It is a potent stimulant in caring for the body and mind. After all, we are not a body without a head. When the body gets into trouble from dysfunction or disease, the anxiety and stress that result from either can (and often does) complicate daily living.
But, I should get to the point of this article. Today, I read a Guest Editorial [2] regarding “The Role of Aerobic Exercise in Physiotherapy Practice.” You should note these sentences and use of words like “agent,” in regards to EXERCISE:
- Today, more than ever before, the role of exercise as a potent physiologic agent is being acknowledged.
- Moreover, the role of exercise is being recognized as an effective, nonpharmacologic intervention across a wide spectrum of health conditions; no longer can it be dismissed as simply an adjunct to seemingly more sophisticated medical and surgical interventions.
- Physiotherapists are well positioned to take advantage of the increased recognition of exercise as an autonomous intervention.
The power of exercise to decrease the incidence of hypertension, stroke, ischemic heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and cancer is indisputable. Yet, however obvious this is the exercise physiologists who get it, there are far too many who still don’t get it. I’ve often wondered why this is so, especially given the understanding that “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”
Why is it we above all others are so slow to look at exercise from a healing point of view and not just a means to getting bigger, jumping higher, or getting stronger? Maybe the short answer is that we are still learning and much about life is a never ending process of self-study, education, and experience. Maybe, just maybe, it is also about leadership or, perhaps, better said, the failure of leaders to look beyond where their present thinking.
The basis of good leadership is not only character and selfless service. It is also about conveying a strong understanding of the future; a vision that clarifies a sense of direction and purpose is imperative. It encourages trust and confidence in the members of the organization. But, in a nutshell, the vision must also address and direct the profession. And, in this regard, what has been missing for decades is the emphasis on EXERCISE as exercise physiologists.
By this I mean that the research tail has been wagging the dog far too long. There is too much emphasis on research and not much at all on the professionalism of exercise physiology to support professional development. Clearly, the research has not captured the essence of change within exercise physiology. Exercise physiologists feel differently today, both about themselves and their profession.
As a result, there is a paucity of evidence that speaks to professional accountability and credibility. More time must be given over to the unobvious or unexamined parts of exercise physiology [3]. We must work harder to know what we are or what we can become. Of course this requires us to take responsibility for correctly defining our field and our practice. We must understand the “preventive qualities” of exercise as well as what we are, what we know, and what we can do as healthcare professionals.
As Mahatma Gandhi said, “We must become the change we want to see.”
References
- Wood, W. (1867). Manual of Physical Exercises: Rules for Training and Sanitary Suggestions. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers, Publishers.
- Brooks, D. and MacKay-Lyons, M. (2006). Survival of the Fittest: The Role of Aerobic Exercise in Physiotherapy Practice. Physiotherapy Canada. 58:1:3-4.
- Boone, T. (2006). Seeing the Unobvious in Exercise Physiology. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline. 9:9 [Online]. http://faculty.css.edu/tboone2/asep/SeeingTheUnobvious.html