My Journey to Becoming a Physiotherapist

When deciding what to choose for my undergraduate degree, I was drawn to Kinesiology (the study of human movement). In all honesty, "sports for marks" was a huge draw, and I figured my background of being a lifeguard and swim instructor would help me ace the swimming courses (…I was very wrong, but that’s a whole other blog!)

During my Kinesiology undergraduate degree at the University of Western Ontario, I had the opportunity to become a certified group fitness instructor (through CanFitPro) and a certified personal trainer (through CPTN). I loved how group fitness combined working-out with dance (I gravitated towards teaching ZUMBA, and cardio-based classes that required a sense of rhythm). But I also loved how I could cater the class to the body parts that I wanted to workout that day (secret insider fact to all you group fitness participants out there…if you feel like your workout class is focused on one particular body part, that’s because the instructor is sneaking in a workout!)

While I thoroughly loved teaching group fitness classes (and sneaking in some additional workouts for myself), I found it more rewarding to work one-on-one with my personal training clients, collaborating with them to figure out the best physical fitness routines for their bodies and their lifestyles.

Post graduation from Kinesiology, I began working as a Kinesiologist at a Physiotherapy clinic. This was before Kinesiologists had their own governing college, so my job was limited to carrying out treatment plans developed by Physiotherapists. I decided to pursue my Masters of Science in Physiotherapy at McMaster University. And after I graduated from Physio school, I was searching for an area that I could specialize in and came across pelvic floor physiotherapy. I dived right into learning anything and everything about the pelvic floor, and channeled my self-empowerment into a passion for teaching others about making simple and healthy lifestyle changes. For example, did you know that not everyone should be doing kegels?! (More blogs to follow with a lot of fun facts about your pelvic floor!!)

In addition to my pelvic floor training, I have taken physiotherapy courses in the field of manual therapy, acupuncture, vestibular dysfunction, and soft tissue active release. My biggest take-away from my continued education, and working in many clinics as a Physiotherapist, is that patients need to understand what they are doing and why they are doing it. Physical therapy is a team effort. The only way for you to get better is to be open and honest with your expectations, set realistic goals, and be super diligent with your rehabilitation.

Having been on the opposite side of the table as a patient many times myself, I know this is easier said than done!! But I am hoping that the content I am providing will inspire you to take a small step towards prioritizing yourself and your health. Worst case, I write a bunch of blogs no one reads and create a ton of videos that no one watches, but might as well stay busy while being socially-distanced!