Kinesio: What?
Images courtesy of Poh Ying Bin
Lyfeportal speaks to kinesiologist, Poh Ying Bin - or YB as he’s better known to his clients and friends, to learn more about kinesiology (kinesio). Can you achieve a hot bod with kinesio? YB who is a personal trainer and holds a master degree in kinesio tells us more.
1. Many people know about physio, but not kinesiology (kinesio). Could you tell us more?
Kinesiology mean different things in different countries. Kinesiology is understood as human movement science in US. That is where I got my MSc.
Kinesiology in Australia is understood as Applied Kinesiology (AK) and its roots in manual muscle testing and application across various health issues in top musculoskeletal issues.
2. Physio vs kinesio. What are the main differences?
Physiotherapy is physical therapy in essence. It is mainly concerned with addressing musculoskeletal pain via various modalities (both manual and machine). Once pain is reduced or once injuries have healed, patients are typically discharged to continue their rehabilitation through reconditioning exercises.
Kinesiology, on the other hand, is concerned with movement and its implications for pain and injury. Through working with both conscious movement and the nervous system, kinesiology is able to influence muscle activation and its sequencing to optimise joint forces and help reduce pain.
3. What motivated you to become a kinesiologist?
It was a traumatic knee injury that didn’t recover despite multiple visits to doctors, physiotherapists, and TCM physicians. After many frustrating months seeking treatment, I gave up and went jogging within pain limits.
After a couple of weeks working on my own, the knee pain was gone and I recovered fully. It was then that I realised the importance of rehabilitation and reconditioning which available healthcare wasn’t able to provide.
The kinesiology I practise is a combination of human movement science and AK. This combination helps fill the shortcoming of each type of kinesiology to provide a complete solution.
4. How does one become a trained kinesio? Any prerequisites or skills required?
Formal education in human movement science is a good start. Having a good understanding of functional anatomy will be of great help in becoming a kinesiologist.
5. Would you say kinesio is a good skill to have? Why so?
It’s a field that is greatly unexplored in Singapore. Often you’ll see physiotherapists holding onto patients even as pain was eliminated because they perceive that there wasn’t much avenues for patient to safely recondition. Kinesiologist, with in-depth understanding of movement, can bridge the gap between physiotherapy and going back to various physical activities.
6. Can one achieve a hot bod using kinesio?
Individuals with musculoskeletal issues who are looking to shape up will benefit from working closely with a kinesiologist. Healthy individuals need not necessarily work with a kinesiologist for body transformation but kinesio can help for sure.