Take comfort in the fact that there is the profession of exercise physiology. Members of the profession are academically prepared to teach others how to benefit from regular exercise. Here, “benefit” also means engaging in exercise safely. Board Certified Exercise Physiologists have the quantitative skills to assess and apply the physiology of decades of science to their clients and patients.
This is huge in today’s weekend warrior types of certification. Many, if not most, lack adequate scientific training and/or hands-on laboratory experiences. They are not members of the American Society of Exercise Physiologists, and they are certified exercise physiologists.
Society is full of “fitness professionals” and many of them call themselves “personal trainers.” People need exercise. It is medicine when prescribed by a Board Certified Exercise Physiologists.
A Board Certified Exercise Physiologist is a person who has passed the Exercise Physiologist Certified exam. EPCs are held accountable to the ASEP Code of Ethics and the Exercise Physiologist’s Standards of Practice.
Perhaps, it is important to define the purpose of ASEP. The American Society of Exercise Physiologists, the professional organization representing and promoting the profession of exercise physiology, is committed to the professional development of exercise physiology, its advancement, and the credibility of exercise physiologists.
Also, what is Exercise Physiology? Exercise Physiology is the identification of physiological mechanisms underlying physical activity, the comprehensive delivery of treatment services concerned with the analysis, improvement, and maintenance of health and fitness, rehabilitation of heart disease and other chronic diseases and/or disabilities, and the professional guidance and counsel of athletes and others interested in athletics, sports training, and human adaptability to acute and chronic exercise.
And, who is an Exercise Physiologists? Exercise Physiologist is a person who has an academic degree in exercise physiology, or who is certified by ASEP to practice exercise physiology [via the Exercise Physiologist Certified exam (EPC)], or who has a doctorate degree with an academic degree or emphasis in exercise physiology from an accredited college or university.
ASEP is important for many reasons, but one in particular is to promote the professional development of exercise physiology. Hence, implicit within the ASEP web pages is the notion that exercise physiology is a healthcare profession. The bulk of the epidemiologic evidence and the scientific papers by exercise physiologists support the health benefits of regular exercise. Moreover, it is clear that an active lifestyle protects from many diseases. Now, with the ASEP Board Certification as the gold standard for exercise physiologists, the supervision, safety, and care of clients are increasingly evident throughout the public sector.
Personal trainers may or may not have a college degree and, if they do, the degree may or may not be in a related field. They are not qualified to earn the EPC degree. Therefore, they can neither be held accountable to the exercise physiology Code of Ethics nor practice exercise physiology.
