This course focuses on the knowledge and skills needed for effective exercise leadership in both one-on-one and group settings.  Students will learn about exercise prescription and program design, learning styles, strategies for teaching and motivation.  Additionally, this course will explore the administrative aspects of fitness programming including program planning, marketing, personnel management, development of policies and procedures, and facility planning.

Prerequisites

This course will examine the scientific evidence supporting the correlation between physical activity and health; we will also discuss the theoretical basis of behavior change as it applies to promotion of exercise behavior. Guidelines and recommendations for prescribing exercise for apparently healthy individuals (including children, older adults and pregnant women) will be covered. Students will learn about the relationship between exercise and chronic disease through review of the risk factors, pathophysiology, and exercise recommendations for individuals with various conditions and disease states including, but not limited to, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary diseases, and orthopedic problems. Strategies for promoting the “Exercise is Medicine” global health initiative will be discussed.