Expert: Dr. Kevin D. Kanz - 4/15/2011

Question
Dr. Kanz- I am a college student and am thinking about changing my major. I really liked taking anatomy & physiology in high school so I was looking into some health- related majors. I read about exercise physiology and thought the courses for it looked really interesting. However, I don't really know what you can do with that kind of degree. I don't want to go to college to learn how to teach an exercise class. I googled it but it wasn't very helpful. Is there any major/ career path that is maybe similar to this that you would recommend? I've been through career counseling and taken all the tests and just don't know what to do!

Answer
With an advanced degree in exercise physiology (masters or doctorate), you can do a great deal more than teach exercise.  This field is an important part of clinical rehabilitation, research and even health care for the aging population.  Undergraduate exercise physiology is a good stepping stone and would require all the basic sciences including biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology.  If you wish to consider clinical applications of exercise and physiology, look into chiropractic, physical/occupational therapy or physical medicine... Hope this helps...
~Dr.K