What to Expect From an Exercise Science Curriculum

Are you thinking about pursuing an Exercise Science degree? Congratulations on taking the first step to having a rewarding and fulfilling career. Exercise Science is rapidly growing into an incredibly vital field, with many people looking for answers to questions like how physical activity can improve their health.

To become an expert in this arena, it’s essential for those interested in the field to become knowledgeable about what Exercise Science has to offer and what students might expect from a program’s curriculum. Read on as we explore these aspects in detail so you can confidently start your fitness education journey.

Exercise Science

The curriculum for studying Exercise Science will typically include courses covering anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, nutrition, psychology, and sociology. Students may also be exposed to motor control and learning courses, sports medicine, exercise testing, including prescription methods, and program design and development.

Classes will focus on understanding how the body works during physical activity and exercise, developing an appreciation for scientific inquiry, learning evidence-based approaches for assessing health risks, designing effective programs for promoting wellness, examining the psychological underpinnings of active living; analyzing sports performances, applying exercise principles across the lifespan; and understanding ethical issues related to sport participation.

Kinesiology

Kinesiology is the science of human movement. Kinesiology degrees explore how physical activity can improve overall health and well-being while considering the social, psychological, and cultural aspects of exercise. During a Kinesiology degree program, students will learn about anatomy, nutrition, biomechanics, motor development, psychology of sport and exercise, kinesiological analysis, prevention of injury and illness in sport and exercise settings, and kinesiotherapy.

Besides providing comprehensive theoretical knowledge in these areas, Kinesiology programs emphasize skills such as data collection and analysis techniques, research methods for sports medicine contexts, and designing effective physical activities for diverse populations with varying needs or disabilities. Additionally, assessing individual clients’ needs through physical assessment tests is also covered in many courses throughout the program.

Kinesiology bachelor’s degrees typically take four years of full-time study to complete. The program is unique from other forms of Exercise Science education in that it emphasizes a more holistic approach to physical activity rather than simply focusing on the physiology of movement and physical fitness.

After completing a bachelor’s program, graduates can pursue careers as athletic trainers or physical therapists. With additional experience or education, they can become strength coaches or ergonomists who specialize in designing jobs for optimal efficiency.

Exercise Physiology

Exercise Physiology is an area of study that analyzes the body’s response to physical activity and how different forms of exercise affect it. In addition, it looks closely at the effects of training, nutrition, and lifestyle on an individual’s performance, health, and well-being. The primary goal of this field is to help people achieve and maintain optimal health while also helping athletes improve their performance.

This type of degree focuses on understanding how muscles perform during exercise and assessing energy systems involved in physical performance. Students learn about metabolic pathways that generate energy for muscle contractions and other physiological responses when exercising at different intensity levels.

In addition to taking biomechanics, nutrition, and anatomy classes, students obtaining an Exercise Physiology degree will likely participate in labs where they practice testing athletes with different types of equipment, such as treadmills or heart rate monitors.

Graduates may work in clinical settings helping individuals improve their overall fitness levels, or at universities teaching students about health-related topics like nutrition or sports performance training principles.

Strength & Conditioning

A degree in Strength & Conditioning is designed to prepare students for a career in athletic training by teaching them how to help athletes reach peak performance levels through effective programming and instruction methods that focus on improving muscular endurance and power output while reducing injury risk factors.

Strength & Conditioning programs provide an extensive overview of topics such as functional anatomy, biomechanics, and exercise physiology. Hence, graduates can devise tailor-made programs that meet individual needs depending on the type of sport being played and the athlete’s age group.

Students usually learn about nutritional guidelines for athletes and proper warm-up techniques that reduce injuries associated with high-intensity activities like weightlifting or running drills commonly used during practice sessions by professional teams worldwide.

Upon graduation, those who obtain a degree in Strength & Conditioning are qualified to work at gym facilities providing personal training services or serve as assistant coaches at college-level teams, helping head coaches design appropriate workout regimes based on season requirements from each sport discipline played by respective teams.

Sports Performance Training

Sports Performance Training is focused on preparing athletes mentally and physically for optimal performance during competitions, regardless of if it’s recreational sports leagues like softball or baseball games played over weekends among friends or championship tournaments involving international teams from different nations vying for glorious victories.

Sports performance trainers strive to provide their clients with a holistic approach combining mental skills practice along with implementing proper diet plans adjusted according to individual needs, followed by monitored workout routines designed specifically around goals set before starting any program.

This type of major covers topics such as bioenergetics, recovery, injury prevention, speed development, agility enhancement, plyometrics exercises, and nutrition counseling, among many others, all geared towards developing athletes into stronger competitors capable not only of performing well but also able of sustaining peak performances over extended periods keeping them safe against potential injuries suffered due overexertion.

Those pursuing a career path related to Sports Performance Training typically work independently, providing customized services directly responsible for shaping successful careers among amateurs looking forward to making it to a professional level or alongside other team members partaking in regular practice sessions under direct supervision from a head coach.

Human Movement Science

Human Movement Science is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the study of physical activities, movement principles, and physical performance. It examines how the body moves in response to tasks, environments, and different levels of skill and training. Human Movement Science encompasses various areas, including kinesiology, physiology of exercise, motor learning and control, exercise testing and prescription, sports psychology,and nutrition.

Within the curriculum, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the basic principles underlying human movement through kinesiology and physical education coursework. In addition, students will learn about topics such as biomechanics (mechanical principles involved in human motion), motor control (the neural mechanisms by which movements are generated), and sports psychology (psychological factors that affect performance).

This prepares graduates to evaluate, diagnose, and treat physical impairments and disabilities accurately. They can also develop and implement therapeutic treatment plans for individuals with chronic illnesses or physical impairments. Additionally, those who graduate from this program are trained to create wellness programs designed to improve an individual’s overall health.

Graduates with a degree in Human Movement Science can pursue a variety of challenging and rewarding careers. Popular roles for graduates include physical therapists, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, exercise physiologists, dance and exercise instructors and health educators.

Sports Nutrition

Sports Nutrition degrees equip students with the knowledge to analyze and develop nutritional programs for athletes and individuals seeking guidance on leading a healthy lifestyle. This type of degree usually combines physiology, health, fitness, food science and nutrition assessments to create tailored plans that meet each person’s individual needs and goals.

Through this program, students learn about essential components of human nutrition, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. They also study the proper way to evaluate an individual’s nutritional status, provide dietary advice based on their physical activity levels, recognize signs of deficiencies or excess intake and create customized eating plans for optimal performance.

Professionals trained in Sports Nutrition may work as private consultants or in clinics providing personalized care to athletes and active individuals. They might put together specialized menus, create meal plans according to budget constraints, or even design special diets suitable for activities. With a degree in Sports Nutrition, you could also become part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team working with patients in a clinical setting, often under the supervision of physicians and registered dietitians.

In addition to providing counseling services tailored to everyone’s unique needs and goals, graduates with a Sports Nutrition degree can also find employment opportunities teaching courses at universities or working in research settings developing new strategies for enhancing athletic performance through optimal dietary practices.

They can also work as authors in magazines devoted to healthy lifestyle topics or collaborate with food companies, creating products aimed at athletes. Ultimately, these professionals have an essential role in helping people reach their potential regarding physical performance by using sound nutritional decisions.

Study With Us at Concordia University Chicago!

At Concordia University Chicago, our Exercise Science program offers a wide range of classes and focuses on helping you develop the necessary knowledge to succeed in the field.

Our faculty is comprised of highly trained professionals who provide students with both theoretical and practical education to achieve an exercise science major.

We are committed to helping students succeed academically and professionally through our rigorous yet supportive academic programs. Our Exercise Science program offers an interactive, flexible learning environment and a challenging curriculum that will prepare you for success. So join us at Concordia University Chicago today!