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ASEP Mission StatementThe 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.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. Who is an Exercise Physiologist?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. ASEPNewsletterThe ASEPNewsletter is devoted to informative articles and news items about exercise physiology. It is a monthly magazine of news, opinions, professional issues and concerns, and events that shape exercise physiology. While it contains views and opinions of the Editor-In-Chief, Dr. Lonnie Lowery, Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Akron, Akron, OH, who oversees the content, visitors can have a voice as well. We welcome interested practitioners, researchers, and academicians to e-mail the Editor their thoughts and ideas. New Year, New Thinking: ASEPNewsletter, January 2010There are a lot of New Year-themed articles going around, with consumers and professionals alike trying to start anew. Few messages in the field of Exercise Science could be as important, however, as the encouragement of new thinking about the profession. Exercise Physiologists have developed an advanced body of knowledge with a rich history and yet last year, as in the years before it, many have been content to look at their field specifically as an academic discipline rather than a true profession. I have remained involved in the American Society for Exercise Physiologists because I think differently. Our knowledge and skills are so much more than a small facet of established, licensed professions. Exercise Physiology can become far more than it has been. New, official government recommendations for exercise and continued research both support the notion that exercise is extremely impactful on the very things that ail our country. Exercise is also a complex topic that, to me, requires the investment of more than just a continuing education seminar and certificate granted by some other allied health profession (or less. Often throughout the years ASEP co-founder Tommy Boone has warned about the risks of "group think" and obviously, I agree. As other professions enjoy starting salaries above $40,000, equally educated graduates of Exercise Science programs have made a fraction of that amount. They are left to: (A) Seek different (if complimentary) training in more recognized fields; (B) Try to set up their own businesses and hope that, despite a struggling economy, clients will pay amounts similar to what they pay other allied health professionals; or (C) Become landscapers, house painters or waitresses out of sheer financial need (despite being able to discuss glycogen synthase at the drop of a hat. So as the new year dawns, consider new thinking as well. The past has included injustices against our students and graduates. They deserve more in their futures. Lonnie Lowery, PhD ASEP-Newsletter Editor
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. "Professional Distinction with Board Certification"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.ASEP: A True Vision!"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is a process. Working together is success." -- Henry Ford Professional exercise physiologists have a responsibility to create change in their professional arenas, whether that is in the clinical area, education, administration, business, or research. Personal attention, role modeling, precepting, and mentoring are all critical to sharing values and career goals and other significant matters, such as accreditation, board certification, and standards of practice. Exercise physiologists in the very near future will be recognized as healthcare professionals, which is certainly different from the old version of an exercise specialist, trainer, or fitness instructor. Exercise physiologists will have opportunities to serve their clients in diverse career venues and practices. This kind of responsibility requires a credible certification that reflects professionalism, protects the public, and strengthens the profession. |
Announcements ASEP Student Research Grant Proposal ASEP Student Research Grant Guidelines Dietitian, Nutrition, Food Nutritionist The International Federation of Exercise Physiologists (IFEP) was founded in 2009 with the Memorandum of Affiliation agreement between the American Society of Exercise Physiologists and the Indonesian Society of Exercise Physiologists. For more information, contact the ASEP National Office. Exercise Physiology: An Allied Health Profession ASEP Board of Directors and The Center for Exercise Physiology-online approved the EPC Petition Guidelines for doctorate exercise physiologists to become Board Certified. AdvertisementsProgram Director, Master's of Clinical Exercise Physiology, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences....more information... Exercise Physiology Research Scientist opening in the Division of Space Life Sciences at the NASA Johnson Space Center....more information... UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA invites applications for a tenure track Assistant Professor in Exercise Physiology...more information... Applications are invited for a Canada Research Chair at the University of Western Ontario in the Integrated Physiology of Exercise and Health (Tier I) in the Faculty of Health Sciences...more information... |
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