Yet, by comparsion to other professions, exercise physiology is just beginning its struggle to professionalize its work. Even the use of the word practice seems somewhat inappropriate when defining the professional work of exercise physiologists. Instead, most exercise physiologists use such words as work and career. It is frustrating that exercise physiology is a profession without a history. Learning about the profession is exciting and, yet oftentimes frustrating.
Exercise physiologists have for the most part been educators more than practitioners.
The practitioner is generally the non-PhD exercise physiologist who has important roles in assisting individuas who need professional guidance in building muscles, running better, or losing fat. The college teacher is the educator who teaches the students to become good practitioners. Sounds simple, and I suppose it is. But, while exciting, it is also confusing. The questions are excellent and the preexercise physiology student needs answers to make an informed decision about career options.