School is out and I am thrilled, exactly 12 weeks to focus on the clinic, study and of course to relax! This is a great opportunity to explain how my two careers link so well! Being a physical education, biology, and science teacher, as well as a physical therapist, allows me to combine my knowledge of these fields to provide a well-rounded education for both my students and patients.
As a physical education and biology teacher, I play a crucial role in promoting physical fitness, health, and overall well-being among students. I have the opportunity to educate students about the importance of exercise, nutrition, in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I teach fundamental movement skills , mobility, strength and conditioning, along with sports specific skills. All of such attributes are the foundations of a healthy adulthood. I also incorporate elements of physical therapy into my teaching. In class we have great conversations about injuries, first aid procedures, human anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. Indeed we may even have the odd teacher knocking on the door to act as a “model” for demonstrating a physical therapy session!
In the clinic all this knowledge transfers across seamlessly. Being a physical therapist allows me to provide individualised care and rehabilitation to people who have suffered injuries or have physical limitations. I assess patients’ conditions, develop treatment plans, and guide them through exercises and therapeutic activities to improve their strength, mobility, and function. Of course my understanding of biology greatly contributes my ability to diagnose and treat various musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. My understanding of science also plays a vital role here. In the clinic I act as a scientist. I my subjective assessment I create a hypothesis, an educated guess on what muscles may require attention, in my objective assessment I test these muscles and either support or contradict my hypothesis. From there I work on changing one thing, in science this is known as a variable, when one thing is changed, I know the effect has or has not come from that one variable and this method continues until the client has reached their goal. The exact same method applies to a fat loss client, change, monitor, and adapt! It is such a simple process and it works so effectively. Of course my understanding of sports and sports specific movements are a phenomenal addition to have in the clinic. These skills mean that not only can I assist plays return to play following injury I can also work with athletes to enhance their performance and future proof them from developing injuries.
Overall, the link between the two really comes down to helping people. In the clinic I get the opportunity to directly impact people’s lives by helping them recover from injuries, regain mobility, manage chronic conditions, and improve their overall quality of life. In the classroom I get the opportunity to shape young minds. As a teacher, I have privilege of educating and inspiring students, helping them develop a love for physical activity, science, biology all in hopes of instilling in them positive habits which will contribute to a life of success in health and career.
All in all, I may live a very busy lifestyle, but it is also a very rewarding lifestyle. (And that’s before I ever start talking about the pitch side career!)
Formulating Fitness 