Center for the Future of the Health Professions June 2024 digest
Posted: June 6, 2024
The Center for the Future of the Health Professions is thrilled to present another monthly op-ed column for 2024, offering insightful perspectives on issues shaping the future of health professions. Established to provide policymakers at all levels and healthcare stakeholders with accurate and comprehensive data, our center aims to support effective planning for a sustainable future in healthcare. This month, our column illuminates the field of kinesiology in the United States. Kinesiology, a diverse and rapidly growing discipline, focuses on the study of human movement and physical activity. It encompasses a wide range of subfields, including exercise science, sports medicine, biomechanics, and physical therapy. Professionals in the field of kinesiology, working in various settings, such as hospitals, clinics, research institutions, and athletic organizations, are instrumental in improving human performance, preventing injuries, and promoting overall health and wellness. With an increasing emphasis on the importance of physical activity and exercise in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, kinesiology is not just a discipline, but a key player in shaping the health and well-being of individuals across the country.
Our guest author, Dr. Tracie Rogers, is the program chair of the Kinesiology program at A.T. Still University’s College of Graduate Health Studies (ATSU-CGHS). She has a combination of academic and applied experience in the exercise field. Dr. Rogers received her bachelor of science degree in psychology from the University of Arizona and earned her PhD in kinesiology, focusing on sport and exercise psychology, from Arizona State University in 2003.
Dr. Rogers is passionate about getting people moving and helping them incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. In all of her activities, she thrives on educating fitness professionals on how to make a difference in the lives of their clients and on the importance of their role in promoting physical activity.
We value your insights and look forward to your feedback and comments as we continue to explore the dynamic landscape of healthcare professions. Your perspective is crucial to our understanding and growth. Please direct any comments or feedback on this month’s digest to cfhp@atsu.edu.
Randy Danielsen, Ph.D., DHL(h), PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA
Professor and Director
The Center for the Future of the Health Professions
A.T. Still University
The future of kinesiology
Kinesiology is an exciting and sometimes challenging field to discuss because it is a large industry encompassing many professions. In general terms, kinesiology focuses on human movement, physical activity, sports performance, and rehabilitation. As a profession, we serve a wide variety of clients including elite athletes, older adults, youth, those with injuries, and healthy individuals. As with all healthcare professions, kinesiology continues to grow and adapt to changing needs and trends and it is enjoyable to discuss a few of its future directions.
The obvious place to start in discussing trends and future directions in kinesiology is with technology. From wearable trackers to more complicated analysis and measurement systems, technological advancements are changing how we understand, assess, and enhance human movement. Watches and other commonly worn devices can measure heart rate, activity level and time, steps, sleep, and blood oxygen levels. This data can be used in many ways, such as setting goals, self-monitoring, competing with friends, and improving health and fitness. Additionally, professionals use this easily collected data to gain insight into programming and empower individuals to take greater control of their health and well-being.1 Each year, the American College of Sports Medicine gathers survey data from professionals to assess the top industry trends. For six of the last nine years, wearable technology has been the top trend in the field.2 Wearable fitness technology is not going away but will continue to become more available, advanced, and comprehensive for the average person.
Following along the lines of technology and data, sports science is a rapidly growing industry taking technology and measurement to another level. Sports scientists work in various athletic environments and use the scientific process to measure variables and make programming decisions based on the data to improve performance and decrease injury.3 Using scientific data to guide training allows for athletic performance improvements, even at the highest level. By carefully designing research questions for specific performance improvements, sports scientists can address precise aspects of on-court and field performance. Athletic organizations at all levels want to bring sports science as part of their training programs. There will be continued growth in the education and application in this area.
Another important future direction in the kinesiology field is our potential impact on the rapidly growing aging population. By 2050, it is estimated America will have 82 million residents 65 and older. This is a 47% increase from 2022.4 As society addresses the potential increased burden of chronic diseases and sedentary lifestyles in the aging population, there is a heightened emphasis on kinesiology professionals’ role in promoting physical activity and healthy aging. ATSU has demonstrated how healthcare professionals can build awareness and education with the Center for Resilience in Aging and its Falls Prevention Program.5 This multidisciplinary community outreach and education program is a clear example of how kinesiology specialists can partner with other allied health and medical professionals to build evidence-based programming designed to improve long-term health and wellness and to develop interdisciplinary community initiatives in which health and wellness leaders stand together in the development and promotion of activity programs.
The final future direction that warrants inclusion in this discussion is defining who is qualified to work as an exercise professional. This topic has been at the forefront of industry organizations over the past 15 years, with a push for licensure being the central issue.6 However, due to numerous barriers, licensure is not an expected outcome in our field. The focus has shifted to advanced degrees, specialty certifications, and education program accreditation as avenues to assure competency and readiness to work in the field.7,8 It will be interesting to watch this area’s growth as professionals seek quality education to advance their careers. It is expected to see increased collaboration between academia, industry, and professional organizations to ensure kinesiology programs are preparing students with the skills and knowledge to provide quality service in the field.
In conclusion, the future of the kinesiology profession is promising, led by technological advancements and the use of data in programming, interdisciplinary collaboration to address healthy aging, and preparing qualified professionals to meet industry needs and demands. Kinesiology specialists are in a vital position to play a critical role in promoting physical activity, preventing disease, and enhancing performance. By embracing innovation, fostering collaboration, and diving into education, the kinesiology profession will continue to grow and evolve and make meaningful contributions to the community.
References
- Liguori G, Kennedy DJ, Navalta JW. Fitness Wearables. ACSMʼs Health & Fitness Journal. 2018;22(6):6-8. doi:https://doi.org/10.1249/fit.0000000000000426
- Newsome AM, Reed R, Sansone J, Batrakoulis A, McAvoy C, W. Parrott M. 2024 ACSM Worldwide Fitness Trends: Future Directions of the Health and Fitness Industry. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. 2024;28(1):14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1249/FIT.0000000000000933
- Haff GG. Sport Science. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2010;32(2):33-45. doi:https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0b013e3181d59c74
- Mather M, Scommegna P. Fact Sheet: Aging in the United States. Population Reference Bureau. Published January 9, 2024. https://www.prb.org/resources/fact-sheet-aging-in-the-united-states/#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20Americans%20ages
- Center for Resilience in Aging. www.atsu.edu. Accessed May 7, 2024. https://www.atsu.edu/center-for-resilience-in-aging#panel3
- Melton DI, Katula JA, Mustian KM. The Current State of Personal Training: An Industry Perspective of Personal Trainers in a Small Southeast Community. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2008;22(3):883-889. doi:https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181660dab
- Why Choose CASCE Accreditation? | NSCA. www.nsca.com. Accessed May 7, 2024. https://www.nsca.com/education/casce/
- Clinical Exercise Physiologist. ACSM_CMS. https://www.acsm.org/certification/get-certified/clinical-exercise-physiologist