Athletic Trainers

Sports medicine is a field of study that focuses on the medical characteristics of sports and physical activity, including sports injuries. Sports medicine is dedicated to the diagnosing, treatment, and prevention of all injuries related to sports, as well as studies in the fundamentals of physical training and athletic performance. Most careers in sports medicine require bachelor degrees in sports medicine or a comparable major, but in a few cases, graduate degrees are required for physical therapy and bio-mechanics.

Remember that sports medicine is related to many different professions with specific areas of expertise including training and sports injuries. If you are interested in entering the field of sports medicine or are curious about what is involved with it, here are a few insights that will give you a good idea of what to expect.

1. Group Exercise Instructor

A group exercise instructor in sports medicine usually leads large classes of individuals and they usually work in a gym or hospital rehabilitation center. Each class that they lead usually pertains to a particular exercise and focuses on a skill level that meet’s the students’ needs. They help clients perform the training proper to avoid sports injuries. Certain examples include step aerobics class, Pilates class, and spinning class. A bachelors degree in sports medicine is required to become a group exercise instructor.

2. Athletic Trainers

Athletic trainers are usually found on sports teams such as football and basketball. They work alongside and assist team physicians, physical therapists and coaches in providing treatment to athletes and preventing sports injuries. Their main goal is to train athletes to exercise and perform properly so that sports injuries can be avoided altogether. Athletic trainers perform their duties on all kinds of sports and skill levels, including high school and professional sports.

3. Personal Trainers

The goal of a personal trainer in sports medicine is to provide assistance to individuals on a one on one basis to help meet the goals of his or her client. A person usually sees a personal trainer if they want to lose weight or if they would like to get in shape and/or build muscle. The regime that a personal trainer provides to a client is usually strict and rigorous in order to get results. They provide tips of proper eating habits and exercise routines that will be beneficial for the particular goals that the client wants to achieve and give tips on how to avoid sports injuries.

4. Bio-mechanists

Bio-mechanists are an integral part of the sports medicine field. Their goal is highly scientific in nature. Bio-mechanists study and research the physics related to physical activities, such as exercise and sports. Their goal is to discover new information about how conditions and situations could lead to sports injuries muscles and bones are exposed to physical stress. A bio-mechanist finds new ways on how to improve athletic performance so that athletes could avoid sports injuries.

5. Physical Therapists

Physical therapy is a study in sports medicine that help people recover from injuries to certain parts of their bodies involving muscles, bones, and nerves. Therapists in sports medicine help athletes transition from sports injuries back into their rigorous training activities safely.