Summary
This lecture will define and describe the body’s maintenance of systems, its ability to meet and recover from various stressors, and what it means when it can no longer efficiently meet and recover from stressors. The content will illustrate the interplay between various bodily stressors and share a scoring system to help the practitioner identify variables for risk identification and mitigation in exercise prescription and dosing.
Participants will gain important insights into understanding the importance of allostatic load when making decisions regarding the use of exercise. Guidelines will be provided to help practitioners choose, design, implement, and progress exercise volume and intensity. They will understand that exercise can contribute to increasing an individual’s allostatic load or, if leveraged properly, reduce that load.
Learning Objectives
1. Learn the definitions of Homeostasis, Allostasis, and Allostatic Load
2. Learn what defines a stable system and a process for qualitatively understanding an individual’s system state.
3. Learn a heuristic for estimating an individual’s Allostatic Load and its application to decision-making in prescribing and dosing exercise.
Speaker:
Greg Mack, Founder & CEO of Physicians Fitness, LLC
As Founder and CEO, Greg’s vision for Physicians Fitness LLC was shaped 33 years ago while working as a lay assistant to chiropractic physicians in a sports medicine clinic. It was during this tenure that he noticed the unfortunate reality that most of the patients of the clinic were there, and frequently returned, as a result of poor physical conditioning. The medical and chiropractic staff encouraged these patients to participate in exercise and fitness programs but did not have the time nor resources to effectively assess, develop, and implement a safe, global health-fitness plan. As a graduate of the Navy’s Nuclear Engineering School, Greg used his foundation of engineering knowledge and skills, his enthusiasm for exercise and fitness, academic certifications – American Council on Exercise – Medical Exercise Specialist and Personal Trainer, and his experiences working with a wide variety of medical professionals (physical therapists, osteopaths, surgeons), to develop the Mobility Profiling Method. He has developed a variety of novel strategies and tactics for assessing and improving the motor control of individuals such that they move better, feel better, and live better. His experience working in such diverse venues as community gyms and medical practices enhanced his awareness of the wide gulf that exists between the medical community and traditional fitness facilities, particularly for those individuals trying to recover from, and manage, a diagnosed disease. This led to the development of a comprehensive documentation and communication system that coordinates biomechanical improvement and exercise programs for individuals with diagnosed diseases from the medical community, the core of Physicians Fitness operations. Greg’s involvement in the exercise rehabilitation and fitness industry includes authoring articles for fitness and medical publications, presenting relevant topics to exercise and fitness professionals at continuing education conferences, (Advanced Upper Extremity Assessment and Muscle Function, Lower Extremity Assessment and Muscle Function, and Biomechanics Courses) and achieving the “Master Level” designation as a personal fitness professional from IDEA. Greg received the IDEA International Personal Trainer of the Year Award for the year 2003 and served as the Chairman of the IDEA Personal Trainer Committee, an influential body steering important issues related to fitness professionals. He is currently a member of the Medical-Fitness Network Education Committee. Greg is also the Founder of, and Lead Instructor for, Exercise Professional Education LLC, a Columbus, Ohio-based continuing education provider for several industry certifying bodies. It is the home of the Muscle System Specialist Certification which certifies exercise professionals internationally.
