Physical therapist in a wellness setting

Our group was assigned to have our clinical exposure 1 at Fitness First located at the 3rd level of Robinsons Place Manila. Fitness First is considered as a wellness setting. Fitness First has different sections according to the need of the clients. Some of the sections are for muscle build-up, group exercise, functional training, personal training or mind and body training. Fitness First has also modern equipment which would be a big help in the promotion of fitness and wellness of their clients. We are able to observe a session in cycling studio. This studio is really spacious and it has equipment similar to a bike. With their large facilities, they can really accommodate great number of clients. But of course, their clients are also limited only to those who are capable of paying a certain fee.


On wellness training center where PT can work, the clients and patients ranges from all ages, most of them are adults, of both male and female. The purpose why people go there is basically for physical fitness and wellness. Some wants to lose weight, others are just to maintain their body conditions. There are also some who wants to improve, develop or maintain specific body functioning depending on their needs and preferences.


Although massage is used sometimes as a modality in the place, the primary modality used in the fitness setting is exercise. In our exposure, we observed the cycling studio in Fitness First. We watched an instructor conduct a class in it. Music was played while the all the people went cycling. Somehow, the music affects the speed of cycling of the attendees. Besides the cycling as an exercise, the instructor incorporated a set of distinct movements while cycling. The instructor also added a few pauses or breaks and something like a cool down between songs. All of these are planned by the instructor at the very beginning to produce a well-rounded exercise that works on most of the parts of the body. While observing the class in the cycling studio, we also saw some personal trainers having a one-on-one session with their trainee. They made the trainee use the contraptions like the treadmills and weightlifting machines around the gym or made them exercise on a mat. They facilitate and direct the trainee to follow a certain exercise plan. We sometimes see the personal trainers performing a massage on the trainee. All the exercise that is observed within the gym is aligned with the idea of fitness. Exercises are performed to keep the people there fit and in shape.


Like a physical therapy functioning in other work settings, a PT working in a wellness center also have the same responsibilities as a PT working in other fields. Maybe, they just differ on how they will execute their treatment plans in order for them to meet the needs of their clients.


In the wellness setting, a physical therapy is responsible for ensuring that the routine he or she is preparing for the clients will meet the goals of the clients in general. Overall, a PT should make sure that the routine plan should not only be effective and useful to the clients but also be safe for them as a whole. A physical therapy in this kind of work setting is the one supervising the clients throughout the workout plan which include different exercise techniques fully designed to meet the goals of the clients. Because the setting is particularly in the gym, different exercise equipment are used by the physical therapists to aid the clients in reaching their objectives. Generally, a physical therapy in a wellness setting is the one helping the clients to be more physically fit and to develop a better shape.



Daniel Arzadon


When we were assigned to observe in Fitness First, I expected that it would be a good and fruitful encounter with the PT. I expected a lot because I have been to Fitness First and I really enjoyed my stay there. To look at it in another perspective was an exciting thought for me. To look at it as if you’re the one in charge of the clients and not being the client yourself is nice to think about. I did not get what I wanted but it was close enough. I enjoyed observing Sir Mariano as he was guiding the clients on cycling. I have to admit, it was very entertaining to see a very professional person act as if he’s in TV during the workout. When I saw how Sir Mariano was handling the clients, it occurred to my mind that your future as a PT will be very flexible. We were not able to see Sir Mariano interacted with the clients personally because he was conducting a group class. But I observed other personal trainers in Fitness First and noticed that it is a fact that you would need people skills to become a good PT. Of course, you will need a way to relay your knowledge onto other people. You will need to be a “likeable” person to do these things. I really enjoyed watching or observing in Fitness First and for sure, this path of Physical Therapy will be in my book to consider.

John Marlon Lintan


Being a physical therapist is not just about earning money; more than being a job, physical therapy is a profession which requires enough skills and knowledge in order to execute appropriate treatment plans according to the need of the patients. Physical therapy is a very wide range profession since physical therapists can work in different work settings such as in the hospitals, private clinics, educational institutions, industrial settings, and even in wellness settings.


Seeing a physical therapist working in a gym, a wellness setting, I’ve realized how versatile really the profession is. At first, my mind is stocked believing that physical therapists are only delimited in hospital settings but upon observation in the Fitness First, I learned a lot about the importance of being a physical therapist in that kind of work setting. According to the physical therapist we have observed at work, Mr. Leonardo Mariano, PTRP, the kind of work setting he’s into was able to provide him not only a job, but also a venue for him to be more physically fit as well. However, it doesn’t mean that when a PT is working in a gym, it is a lot easier as compared to a PT working in the hospitals and in the clinics. Mr. Mariano pointed out that as a physical therapist in the wellness setting; he also has this responsibility of ensuring that the routine he is creating for the clients in the gym is not only effective but also safe in general. Considering the number of clients he is holding per session, I think it is really hard to handle those people especially they are of different age, sex, and social status.


At the end of the day, I still believe that WHAT WE LIKE IS WHAT WE DO BEST. So whatever field of physical therapy one opted to choose, it’s just a matter of liking it, loving it and being happy about that particular field.



Maricar Maandal


As a physical therapist in a fitness center, one should be flexible enough to address the needs of the different patients and clients. Usually, during a class in a fitness center, the clients vary with ages, preferences, likes, needs and expectations. Therefore, a PT should have effective social skills as to deal with different people who are attending the class. One must also be flexible to adapt to certain changes on how his/her work and approach should be. A PT should also be excellent and competitive enough to give the appropriate rehabilitation or fitness plan for individual patients.


One of the responsibilities of a physical therapist is to ensure the effectiveness and safety of his/her program for the clients/patients. Determination, perseverance and passion for work must be attributes of a PT in a fitness center because it requires the PT to work with the same exercises and movements the patients or clients are doing. A PT’s attitude and energy during exercises should be more than what the patients and clients can because a PT should be able to encourage the clients and patients. A PT must also know how to work with other professionals in answering the needs of the patients and clients because there are some cases wherein a PT might need help from them. Indeed, aside from the ability and skills of a PT, one should have the social skills in dealing with patients, clients and other professionals.


Physical Therapy is not a mere profession because one must love it in order to be successful. I realized that being a physical therapy brings self-fulfilment for every person whose life has been changed in a better way.



Kristine Eunice Magno


Through the exposure, I realized that our profession works in various fields, like fitness clubs, where the goals of promoting health and well-being, emphasizing importance of exercise and activity, and developing, as well as maintaining, movement and ability can all still be achieved. More importantly, self-fulfillment is attained through interaction with people.

In any field a physical therapist works, challenges, which also depend on the context of situation, are inevitably there. In the exposure, the physical therapist considers differences on age, generation, and social class that enable him to treat them equally. In that field where the PT practices, which is a fitness club, people also prefer a physical therapist as their PT (personal trainer). Yet, self-fulfillment is still attained through the practice itself and accomplishment of goals such as promotion of fitness and health.



Lorainne Joyce Mosca


A physical therapist has specific roles and responsibilities in a particular work setting. In wellness setting like Fitness First, the physical therapist promotes fitness and wellness. According to Mr. Mariano, PTRP, it is not important to have a PT in this kind of setting—it is an advantage. A physical therapist is more knowledgeable about the physiology of the body than any other instructors in that field. I thought it was easy to be in this kind of setting because you are not dealing with PWDs. But after our exposure my perception was changed. It could also be challenging because you deal with different kind of people, with different age and different status in life. How you initiate the moves would affect how the other clients would perform it. This one really demands professionalism. No matter how big is your personal problem, you still have to be cheerful and energetic in front of your clients. As we all know, it is not easy to pretend.


Mr. Mariano, PTRP was the one to choose the music and choreograph the steps. And according to him, it was not just about putting things together but you also need to consider how would the client feels after doing the workout. The clients are your responsibilities. There are instances that a client doesn’t like the choreography. Unlike PWDs who would try to follow the instructions of the PT as long as they can do it, persons without disabilities sometimes tend to be choosy of the things that they would perform. Of course, this is not always the case. Maybe, you just really can’t please everybody. I think what I really learned with this exposure is that every action and decision we make would have an impact or effect in someone’s life.



Gino Paolo Santos


Our clinical exposure was designated in Fitness First in Robinson’s Place Manila. We observed one of the physical therapists, Mr. Mariano, moderate a class in the cycling studio. The atmosphere in Fitness First was great. It seemed more like a resting place rather than a working place. While observing Mr. Mariano conduct his class on cycling, we noticed some 1-on-1 trainers around the place instructing specific people to follow a certain plan for working out. After the observation, we were able to interview him. We learned a lot from the interview. Apparently, physical therapists could work like doctors with multiple clinics or have sidelines. Although I know that physical therapists can work in different fields, I never imagined that they could work on different fields simultaneously just like doctors. For working in Fitness First, he gets fantastic benefits like free membership to all Fitness First clubs and access to its facilities. And when he conducts a class, it could be viewed as him actually getting paid for working out, but nevertheless, he still needs to serve the people who go to his class. One interesting thing I found out in the interview is that he did not pursue becoming a doctor after being a physical therapist. This really surprised me because I also planned on taking physical therapy as a pre-med only and continue to med school afterwards. To my surprise though, there are actually people who get satisfied with their work as a physical therapist and drop their plans of being a doctor. Mr. Mariano actually favored being a physical therapist more than being a doctor because of the more intimate bond that happens between a physical therapist and his patient. Personally, I am slowly being dissuaded to become a doctor. What is being revealed to me is that physical therapy is more self-fulfilling than being a doctor; that physical therapists’ contribution to society is the same as the doctors’. I am starting to like being a physical therapist and drop the plan of being a doctor, but I do not want to stop pursuing my original plan just because it is too lengthy and difficult, but rather because the job of a physical therapist is just as appealing to me as the job of a doctor.