What’s the difference between a kinesiologist and…
- Austen Zentner
- Jun 1
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 10
Defining Kinesiology as a Career
Kinesiology describes a unique set of careers in the allied healthcare & fitness industries. These careers vary, but most of them combine exercise science, human psychology, movement/exercise prescription, and aspects of other healthcare disciplines. Kinesiology has a very broad scope of work, meaning there is a lot of overlap between kinesiologists and other health or fitness professions, like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, personal training, chiropractic, and more. This article will briefly describe some of the most common misconceptions about kinesiology and answer the question, "what's the difference between a kinesiologist and a...?"
A brief note on terminology: the terms "client" and "patient" are used heavily throughout this article. "Client" is a general term that describes a customer of any industry, but "patient" refers only to clients in the healthcare field. Since kinesiologists bridge the gap and work in both health and fitness fields, either term is used when appropriate, with a preference given to the more general use of "client."
Academic VS Professional Kinesiology
When most people hear the word kinesiology, they picture the academic definition: the study of human movement. University kinesiology programs often replaced or superseded existing physical education or sports science degrees, and these programs were renamed to fit the broader, more accurate title of kinesiology - the study of human movement. Many universities across Canada, including the University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina, have kinesiology programs encompassing psychology, sociology, professional ethics, exercise prescription, sports coaching, and other specific subsets related to the ways people move.
Professional kinesiology is a career path under the very broad kinesiology umbrella. In short, professional kins use movement as medicine, assessing and prescribing exercise for the purposes of health, performance, disease management, fall prevention, mental health interventions, and more. Kins work all across Canada in gyms, clinics, medical offices, hospitals, and other facilities, providing actionable exercise prescriptions. Kinesiologists fill various roles with different titles, but some of the most common ones include:
Strength & conditioning coach
Recreation therapist
Athletic therapist
What is the difference between kinesiology and physical therapy?
While physiotherapists provide diagnoses and manual treatments, kinesiologists in Saskatchewan are not permitted to diagnose conditions, and most treatments do not involve manual manipulation. While a physiotherapist might perform a manual release on a muscle to relieve tension or joint mobilization to improve range of motion, a kinesiologist will address that same issue through teaching, demonstrating and prescribing exercise. Kinesiologists use the patient's own movement as the treatment, rather than administering a manual treatment the way a physiotherapist often does.
Education Differences: Kins need a bachelor's degree in kinesiology, while physios need an additional 2-year Master's degree. Physiotherapy graduates must also pass a national licensing exam before they can practice in Canada.
Diagnosis Differences: Physios can diagnose acute and chronic conditions, while kins have to work under an existing diagnosis if one is available.
Treatment Differences: Many modalities are shared by both professions (like TENS, ultrasound), but physio treatments normally involve manual therapy with additional exercise, while kins' primary focus is exercise prescription.
Scope of Work: Kins and physios both work in rehabilitation, chronic disease management, and general healthcare. Physio plays a larger role in acute injury rehabilitation, while kinesiologists focus more on preventative care, chronic disease, and long-term functional improvements.
What is the difference between kinesiology and occupational therapy?
Kins and occupational therapists both work with patients to maintain their independence, improve function in persons with disabilities, and provide return-to-work care, but the methods differ. While kins focus on the individual's body and they way they move, OTs focus on occupational ability encompassing their client's body and the surrounding environment. Kin patients achieve independence and ADL outcomes through strength, mobility, and balance exercises, while OTs have a larger focus on the built environment, often prescribing, fitting, and teaching patients to use various tools and aids. Both professions focus on increasing their clients' abilities.
Education differences: Like physiotherapy, OTs need a Master's degree on top of their Bachelor's, and they must challenge a national licensing exam. Kins don't need to pass a national exam in Canada (though some provinces do have their own entry to profession exams), and they only require a Bachelor's of Kinesiology.
Focus differences: Occupational therapists normally have a focus on improving occupational ability and activities of daily living (ADLs) through use of tools and modification of the environment, alongside teaching movement skills and motor patterns . Kinesiologists focus on improving health and fitness outcomes through exercise, without a focus on assistive tools, aids, or changes to the built environment.
Treatment differences: OTs focus on environmental modifications, application of new techniques, and promotion of ergonomic principles to improve ADLs, while kins' treatments in the gym or the clinic focus on improving the individual's strength & fitness to perform unmodified tasks.
What is the difference between kinesiology and personal training?
The biggest difference between a personal trainer and a kinesiologist is the field of work: Kinesiologists can be allied healthcare professionals, while personal trainers only occupy the fitness industry. Education is different, too, as some personal training certifications require as little as an online test and CPR certification, while kinesiologists need a full four-year degree (at minimum)! Kinesiologists have a broad education that covers anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, psychology, ethics, and more. In some jurisdictions, kinesiologists are regulated under the government, with stringent licensing requirements and ethical obligations. The personal training industry generally operates with less oversight than the healthcare industry, where kinesiologists fit.
With that said, many kinesiologists (including our own provincial members) do work as personal trainers, but with a more robust set of qualifications, deeper and broader education, and maybe a different title. Even when training in a gym or working under a different job title, KAS Professional Kinesiologists meet strict education, ethics, and insurance requirements that keep you safe and protected. If you're looking for a personal trainer, consider hiring a KAS Professional Kinesiologist instead, ensuring you get the most out the money you spend on your health.
Education differences: Kins need four years of university education, while personal training education requirements can be as little as a one-day course and/or online test. Some personal training certifications, like the NSCA's Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, have stronger minimum requirements including a bachelor's degree.
Industry differences: Kins work in both the healthcare and fitness industries; personal trainers work exclusively in the fitness field.
Insurance differences: All KAS Kinesiologists hold at least 5 million dollars in liability coverage through our national insurance program; minimum insurance standards vary for personal trainers.
Application differences: Both personal trainers and kinesiologists can work with special populations to improve health and fitness, but kins are more specialized to work with chronic conditions, rehabilitation scenarios, persons with disabilities, and high performance athletes.
What is the difference between kinesiology and chiropractic?
Both kinesiologists and chiropractors help their clients and patients manage pain, improve function, and prevent or rehabilitate injuries, but chiropractors add a few other skills and a different focus. While kins focus exclusively on movement and exercise as medicine, chiropractors add the capacity to diagnose and use manual adjustment in the treatment and prevention of pain, mobility issues, and neuromuscular conditions.
Education differences: Doctors of Chiropractic must complete a doctorate in addition to a Bachelor's degree. Chiropractors must also pass a national licensing exam before they can practice. Kins need less school, requiring a four-year bachelor's degree (and an exam, if applicable) to practice as a kinesiologist.
Application differences: Both kinesiologists and chiropractors offer services to improve function, manage pain, improve posture, and increase strength, but through different methods. Chiropractors adjust their clients' spinal alignment and treat muscle, joint, nervous system, and bone conditions with hands-on intervention, while kins achieve their treatment goals through the teaching and prescribing of movement and exercise.
Diagnosis differences: Kinesiologists are not permitted to diagnose conditions, while chiropractors are specifically trained to assess, diagnose, and treat conditions of the muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems.
When should you choose a kinesiologist?
Kinesiologists have a broad field of work and a very wide base of education to ensure they can work with any population for almost any goal, but our skill set is not endless. It is always important to find the professional that best suits your current needs. In the case of kinesiology, our scope is best-suited to:
Post-injury or post-surgery rehabilitation as part of a care team,
General fitness and lifestyle improvement,
Athletic performance coaching and strength improvement,
Maintaining independence in aging,
Fall prevention and bone strengthening, and
Chronic condition management, including:
Arthritis
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Osteoporosis
Type 2 diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
Hypermobility
Scoliosis
General musculoskeletal conditions, and
General neuromuscular conditions.
If you still aren't sure about hiring a kinesiologist, check out our article Are Kinesiology Services Right for You? for a deeper explanation. If you're ready to work with a kin, use our Find a Kin tool to get in touch. And if you still need more information, you can contact the Kinesiology Association of Saskatchewan directly to learn more!
Thanks for reading. Stay moving.
A special thank-you to Michelle Donald (MSc PT) and Dr. Stephanie Fox (DC) for their help in the creation of this article.