Meet CHS Alum Laura McDonald - Helping People Live Their Best Lives

Published March 20, 2024
By Darlene Muguiro
UTEP College of Health Sciences

Laura McDonald received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Kinesiology at UTEP. She is a certified clinical exercise physiologist and the owner of Laura McDonald Fit in Denver, CO.

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Are you a first-generation college graduate? Are you from El Paso originally?

Yes, I am a first-generation college graduate, and I am originally from El Paso.

What sparked your interest in the field of kinesiology?

When I graduated from high school, I missed sports and being in the weight room. I started going to the gym that summer and realized that I really enjoyed how exercise made me feel, both physically and mentally. It helped me deal with tough situations I was dealing with at the time. I didn’t know it then, but it also helped tremendously with anxiety.

What do you think sets the UTEP Kinesiology Department apart from other programs nationally?

In speaking with other kinesiology graduates over my career, I’ve learned that UTEP Kinesiology really gave us a great hands-on experience in our labs. Not only do we have great professors and instructors, but we got to really put our lectures to work by learning how to perform key techniques in the labs. The physiology lab, biomechanics lab, coronary lab, fitness research facility, and physical education integration was so helpful in exposing me to hands-on learning experiences. This experience is something I still refer back to in my career, and it is an aspect that has really shaped me as an exercise physiologist.

Tell us about the most interesting experience you had as a UTEP KIN student.

During my cardiac rehab internship, I had the opportunity of observing an open-heart surgery. It was so exciting, eye opening, and it gave me an overall sense of empathy for hardships the patients overcome after a major life event like this. It helped me understand their fears and concerns, and I think I was able to connect with my patients more, knowing a bit more about what they’d been through and how much they had achieved once they graduated from the program.

Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree in Kinesiology? What was your first position after graduating with your MS degree?

I decided to pursue a graduate degree because I wasn’t sure where I wanted to take my career next. I was offered a teaching assistant position in the coronary lab, which I loved. I really wanted that opportunity to continue to learn from my professors and get exposure to more options in exercise physiology. Most of my peers wanted to pursue physical therapy, which is great, but I knew it wasn’t for me. I really loved interning with Kathy Poteet in cardiac rehab at Del Sol Medical Center. She was one of the first exercise physiologists in El Paso, and she mentored me throughout college. She really paved the way for clinical exercise physiology in El Paso, and I remember I wanted to do that too. I wanted to promote exercise physiology as an exciting and viable career path, just like she did for me.

I was aware of career options I had, but I was unsure about the future outlook of those professions. Yes, there is the physical education and physical therapy route, but I was really interested in exercise physiology, and I wanted to see what I could do with it.

My first job was in Odessa, Texas working in Inpatient Cardiac Rehab. I moved there and started working at the Medical Center Hospital. It was crazy because I had never been in the ICU, but here I was helping really sick people get back on their feet and back to their lives after a major cardiac event, simply using exercise. It was very rewarding and humbling at the same time. Cardiac rehab is still my first love.

Tell us about your current work. What were some of the challenges you overcame in opening your own business?

I worked in hospitals for 10 years as a clinical exercise physiologist, but when COVID hit, my hospital was shut down for outpatient service, and I spent the quarantine thinking about my next move. I was a little burned out at the hospital, and I really wanted to still be able to help people through exercise. I started my business with the hopes of teaching people how to move and practice healthy nutritional habits in order to live a better-quality life. While working in cardiac rehab, I realized how much the average population does not understand or know about the necessity for movement and quality nutrition. I think there is a disconnect from going to the doctor, the doctor telling you that you need to make changes to be healthier, and then the patient not knowing where they need to go next to do so. The mission of my business is to help bridge that gap and make that knowledge accessible on a larger scale. I want to help people live their best quality life for as long as they can, doing the things they love.

Exercise physiologists are still a mystery to most. Many people don’t know what we do, and I want to continue to grow the profession because I think we play a huge role in the bigger picture of health and wellness.

What are some of the skills you learned at UTEP that you use on a daily basis in your practice?

I’ve learned to question wellness fads and the sources through which people get their information. Half of my job is helping people understand what will work for them, and just because it works for their favorite influencer on Instagram doesn’t mean it’s best for them. I try to provide my clients with credible sources from both sides so they can make the most educated decision when it comes to their health.

I also use the techniques and knowledge I learned in my undergraduate and graduate degrees every day to show my clients that there is an actual way to measure their fitness. Ultimately, we can use this information to create the best program for them to follow in order to use the time they have efficiently and effectively.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a UTEP KIN student?

I would tell myself to enjoy it more and to put less pressure on myself. I would have immersed myself in more experiences with classmates and the community. I really enjoy that aspect of my life and career now, but when I was younger, I think I was more reserved and less inclined to try new things I was unsure of. My advice is to put yourself out there, even when it’s scary. You never know who you might meet or what you might try that could shape your life forever.

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Go Miners!

For more information about the Department of Kinesiology, please visit: www.utep.edu/chs/kinesiology

Photo courtesy of Jessica Christie Photography and Laura McDonald