Education/training

Kinesiology: Wellness in motion

Just as the human body is a complex, multi-faceted machine, so too are the ways in which it can be studied.

SHARON ASCHAIEK

[ 2002-07-03 ]

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Kinesiology is a multi-disciplinary science encompassing four primary areas of study: anatomy, biomechanics, physiology and psychomotor behaviour. Using these sciences, kinesiologists study and evaluate human movement and functional motor performance.

As the profession has evolved over the years, so too has the range of choice when it comes to employment. Kinesiologists can work in private clinics, public clinics, in conjunction with physiotherapists or in health and safety, in ergonomics, or in specialized areas such as pulmonary cardiac and closed head injuries.

They can work as private consultants doing home and work-site assessments for clients such as the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board or auto insurers.

Finally, they can work as high end fitness trainers at a gym, helping elite athletes maximize their performance.

"It's all about measuring human performance and trying to bring people to the next level," says Erin Carter, president elect of the Ontario Kinesiology Association (OKA).

The OKA consists of about 1,200 certified kinesiologists, which are individuals who have obtained a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology or Human

Kinetics, a Bachelor of Human Kinetics or a Bachelor of Kinesiology from a program accredited by the Ontario Kinesiology Association.

This year the OKA celebrates its 20th anniversary, and over the past two decades it has been witness to the occupational trends within the profession.

Today, about 80% of the OKA's membership work in the entrepreneurial side of the profession, either as fitness trainers, as private consultants or in private clinics.

Carter is an example of this trend.

Working as a freelance consultant, she specializes in construction, health and safety and ergonomics.

"I love it," Carter says. "It's my own company and I get to set my own hours and pick who I want to deal with. It's great."

John Gray is another individual who has found satisfaction as a private kinesiologist. As founder of First Line Fitness Inc., which operates out of a private physiotherapy clinic at Bay and Yorkville, John and his team work alongside physiotherapists in determining suitable recovery plans for patients.

The patients range from people who have been in motor vehicle accidents to those with aches and spraining, to those suffering from occupational injuries.

In addition, his team also works with those who want to get back into sports, by helping them enhance their performance.

"Nowadays, kinesiologists have solid experience and knowledge of strengthening, fitness and performance, and they merge together with others in health care to help people through the injury process to regain their full potential," says Gray, who is also the president of the OKA. "They play their sport better than they have in the past. It's the top tier in professional exercise and health."

With their range of expertise, Gray's team has reached a level of independence in that some patients are referred by the physiotherapists and treated directly by his group. His team, and the profession at large, has earned this credibility in part due to the continuing education demands.

"There is mandatory continuing education regardless of the area you work in," Gray says. "It ensures anyone working with a kinesiologist didn't just graduate and didn't update their knowledge. They know the latest treatments and research in the field."

In addition to treatment, much of the thrust of a kinesiologist's work is prevention.

"We would like to see the elimination of injury at work and in everyday activities," Carter says. Prevention is important in creating an overall healthy environment."

To find out more, check out the OKA Web site at www.oka.on.ca or check out the sidebar of Ontario universities that offer kinesiology programs.