The Power of Persistence
Tommy Boone, PhD, MPH, MAM, MBA
Board Certified Exercise Physiologist
Persistence is a matter of the will to keep at it, regardless of what others say.
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NTIL WE RECOGNIZE THAT exercise physiology is a healthcare profession, we will always be running away from our future. This is unfortunate because it simply delays the inevitable. It is strange that we are so little prepared for becoming that which we are. This thinking may seem quite simple if not a waste of time for the research-driven exercise physiologist. Yet, the transformation of exercise physiology is entirely dependent upon new thinking about professionalism and not more researchabout how to run faster or jump higher.
This is probably a good time to point out that aside from my ASEP mindset there are not enough exercise physiologists in the United States who are also interested in sharing their thoughts about professionalism, ethical behavior, and standards of practice. This is in itself a concern, given the extensive writing I have done on this subject. At first glance, a person would likely have difficulty making sense of my writing and the work of the ASEP leadership. As is almost always the case, it is easier to keep things as they have been and avoid changing.
I suppose my desire to keep moving one step forward with the change process each day is a function of what I see the exercise physiology is all about. Why the majority seldom gets past the applied physiology way of thinking versus the exercise physiology frame of mind isn’t a mystery. What is a mystery is why exercise physiologists allow for if not support the hijacking of exercise physiology by sports medicine. It is as if the majority sees one picture of exercise physiology while a few see an entirely different picture. This article represents an original take on the subject of change and the power of persistence. While it is true that just a handful of exercise physiologists have changed and now support the ASEP organization, they understand that at the core of change is the determination to stay the course.
The mindset of the past makes little sense for living in the future. Instead of looking to future possibilities, academic exercise physiologists are caught up in thinking about the complexity of their own development. What they should be thinking about is the difference between existing as a discipline and growing as a profession. Thinking the so-called impossible helps to find ways of seeing what changes must take place. It begins with the willingness to think outside the box of sports medicine and exercise science. Ask yourself: Isn’t it time to get past the obsolescence of yesterday’s thinking?
Exercise physiology doesn’t have to remain defined by yesterday’s thinking. What we are and what we can do as healthcare professionals doesn’t have to remain defined by the Bob’s Gym mentally. Some will argue that I am wrong, but frankly it makes no sense to not do what is necessary to see exercise physiology differently. The bottom line is this: Transforming exercise physiology begins with changing the way exercise physiologists think about it. The more they understand the role of exercise physiologists in prescribing exercise medicine, the more likely they will support the ASEP organization.
Knowing when to switch horses is an act of avoiding becoming fixed to a single view of exercise physiology, especially when there are warning signs that change is necessary. Why not look at the world through the eyes of an ASEP exercise physiologist? Why not recognize that exercise medicine is a critical part of the heritage of exercise physiology? Being flexible and open to the fact that we are the experts in the development and prescription of exercise protocols should argue for Board Certified Exercise Physiologists throughout every community, city, and state, not trainers or even physician assistants or physical therapists.
This thinking is not a function of a midlife crisis or a leap in the dark. It is an understanding of the circumstances and the danger of sticking to our current way of thinking. This thinking doesn’t mean that we can’t find ourselves side-by-side with old paradigms. It would be great if the old sports medicine and exercise science model would reach out to the ASEP community of exercise physiologists. Moving back and forth between both models would no doubt help with the transition into the new model, but the leadership of the old model isn’t likely to do so. Paradigm shifts are hardly ever easy. Individuals and organizations resist change.
Yet, exercise physiologists must learn to see a new way for what they are. Seeing differently requires listening to the so-called ASEP radicals who are interested in exercise physiologists having the expertise and control over exercise medicine. Seeing exercise physiology from a healthcare perspective versus a research discipline is all about questioning the deliberate effort of others to keep exercise physiology as it has been for decades. Paying attention to the barriers that students experience is not only the right thing to do, it is necessary and appropriate if change is to take place.
As to the latter statement, exercise physiologists are without question drowning in their ongoing research but blind to why professionalism and professional organizations are important. That’s why there is an ever-increasing need to get past this self-imposed barrier of failed rhetoric. We need a 24/7/365 collective mental effort of right thinking and working as healthcare professionals if we are going to provide exercise physiology a 21st century foundation. So, why not zoom in on the ASEP vision? Don’t be afraid to think differently or to take a step back to get the message of change in order to help with the professionalization of exercise physiology. We within ASEP look forward to your support and your persistence to do the right things for the right reasons.
Make the decision today to put your energy into working on behalf of ASEP and supporting a new view of exercise physiology. Make a conscious commitment to thinking differently about the need for professionalization. Collaborate with other ASEP members to learn how they changed their tightly held assumptions of the past that no longer serve the students of today. Learn how they deal with the old order that allows them to embrace the ASEP perspective. Learn to trust your “gut” that change is inevitable. This is true for other healthcare professions, and it is true for the profession of exercise physiology.
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