The importance of physical exercise has been recognised due to the emergence of unequivocal scientific evidence. Accepting this fact, how important will evidence be in the professional practice of exercise instructors, exercise physiologists and other agents involved in the field of exercise? I'd say it's quite important, and even structuring! See if you agree.
Good professional practice requires basic knowledge, but is this enough? In fact, anyone who deals with people in the context of exercise prescription, monitoring and correction knows that biological individuality and the training context have a considerable spectrum of variability, which requires a critical attitude and a constant thirst for knowledge. Do exercise professionals have the time and ability to decide on the best solutions for each case?
When we talk about good practice, we have to talk about professional awareness, which goes back to the need for a code of ethics to regulate the profession. Without such a code, what represents good practice is held hostage by the training context, lost between what is required of the professional and the limitations of their knowledge (which is normal). So how can we change this paradigm that is increasingly present in the field of exercise, particularly fitness? Is there a solution that suits everyone?
The rise of a collective conscience guided by ethical and moral standards that value and dignify the profession has been inconsistent. The need for a set of rules that harmonise the behaviour of all those involved in the field of exercise has become a chimera, whether due to mercantilist incompatibilities or academic egos. Fitness, on the other hand, seems to prefer chaos to order! Is there a conciliatory solution that will please everyone?
The importance of physical exercise and physical activity, two distinct entities, have been recognised by scientific evidence as promoting quality of life and capable of protecting against various acute and chronic disease conditions, morbidity and mortality. Given this recognition of high responsibility, one would expect the technical qualifications of professionals to be in line. Is it? What specific skills and knowledge are needed to validate the objective (and practical!) importance of the exercise technician?
These questions are profound and require reflection by everyone, from political decision-makers to the various professionals working in the field of physical exercise and the general public. There is no doubt that the fitness sector is strategically positioned, with its relational characteristics of proximity between professionals and the general population, which gives it an added social responsibility. Will its legacy be aligned with the current needs of the population? And are its practices based on scientific evidence or pseudoscience? Despite the relevance of these questions, this article only aims to sensitise the reader and invite them to reflect on the promotion of conscious exercise.
If there is no collective awareness of fitness, it will be up to each professional to look for the best practices, leaving the scope of their intervention to the limitations of their knowledge. There is an urgent need for a paradigm shift that uses a common vision and where scientific evidence can guide everyone's good practices. As a professional in this field for more than 20 years, I believe I have come to develop my own professional conscience, just as so many other colleagues have developed theirs. It is in this ambiguity of ethical and moral values that the field of exercise is trying to regain its importance, but without any obvious appeal to a practice based on scientific evidence. The road ahead is long and arduous, but it will have to be travelled in good conscience if it is to serve a greater purpose: the quality of life of the population.
Good reading and good reflections,
Professor Eduardo André
Exercise Physiologist
Degree in Physical Education and Sport
Master in Exercise and Health
Postgraduate in Cardiac Rehabilitation
NEX Performanc Methodology Mentor®
Comments