EXERCISE FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module offers students a comprehensive exploration of human anatomy, kinesiology, exercise principles, and their application in promoting health and fitness. Students will also examine psychological barriers to exercise and explore effective strategies for overcoming them. They will also delve into various training methods and their physiological adaptations, providing a solid foundation for understanding exercise interventions that target health and fitness.

Integral to the module is the development of skills necessary for effective communication with clients, enabling students to gather relevant information crucial for designing tailored exercise programs. The culmination of the module involves the design and delivery of individualised exercise programs aimed at addressing the health and fitness needs of individual clients.

Furthermore, this module equips students with practical skills essential for future careers in the health and fitness industry. Through hands-on assessments, students will demonstrate their ability to lead individuals through a safe and effective exercise session.

Upon successful completion, students will attain formal accreditation as Gym Instructors, endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), enhancing their employability prospects within the industry.

Module provider

School of Biosciences

Module Leader

ROBERTS Harry (Biosciences)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

NA

Module content

Indicative content includes:
¿ Health, safety and welfare in a fitness environment
¿ Skeletal construction; structure of bone and connective tissue,
types of bone: long, thin, flat, irregular.
¿ Axial and appendicular skeleton; names of major bones.
¿ Joint types; immovable, slightly moveable, freely moveable, and synovial.
¿ Muscular system; muscle tissue, names of major muscles.
¿ Types of movement; flexion, extension, rotation, adduction, abduction, circumduction.
¿ Relationship of muscular system to skeletal system; identification of major muscle groups, origins, insertions and actions of main muscles.
¿ Practical analysis of limb movement.
¿ Types of muscular contraction including; isometric, isotonic, isokinetic, concentric, eccentric.
¿ Postural and core stability; role of specific ligaments and muscles and problems arising from instability/postural deviations.
¿ Principles of Exercise Training
¿ Components of physical fitness
¿ Physical activity guidelines for different populations
¿ Client consultation and goal setting (needs analysis)
¿ Motivating health behavioural change
¿ Fitness assessments
¿ Principles of warm-up and cool-down
¿ Aerobic, resistance and flexibility training for health and fitness
¿ Monitoring exercise intensity and training load
¿ Planning of training (basic principles of periodisation)
¿ Healthy eating principles
¿ Food Sources of nutrients & the food groups
¿ Dietary assessment and analysis.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate that they have achieved the modules learning outcomes and, by association, developed employability skills, digital capabilities and resourcefulness and resilience among other module attributes. Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

In-class MCQ exam (50 questions): The exam is designed to assess knowledge and understanding of topics covered within the module. The MCQ section will test students¿ ability to demonstrate what they know in a timed situation and requires them to remember key facts. The exam covers all topics from the lectures and tutorials and addressing learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

Practical skills assessment: The practical skills assessment is designed for students to show proficiency in delivering a safe and effective exercise session with a new client. This assessment addresses learning outcomes: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, and 10

Exercise health and fitness written portfolio: This assessment involves a comprehensive evaluation of a client's health and fitness assessments, including a thorough needs analysis and targeted goal setting tailored to the client's requirements. Subsequently, students will develop a 4-week exercise plan aimed at enhancing health and fitness levels, supporting their design choices with a clear rationale. This assessment directly contributes to achieving the module's learning outcomes and serves as essential preparation for students aspiring to work as gym Instructors. This assessment also provides a solid foundation for subsequent assessment in BMS2084. This assessment addresses learning outcomes: 6, 7, 8, and 10 Formative assessment and feedback: ¿ Students will be provided with a module manual which incorporates a variety of tasks that can then be used throughout the module and as a tool for the assessments. Completed sections with example/correct answers will be provided at various points throughout the module to provide additional feedback and support learning. ¿ Multiple choice questions (MCQ) formative exams will be used throughout the module to support learning and prepare students for summative MCQ exam. ¿ Practical handouts - students will complete specific practical handouts during sessions, which can then be used as a revision tool for the assessments. The completed handouts with correct answers will be provided at various points throughout the module to provide additional feedback and support learning. ¿ Tasks within the practical sessions are designed to develop skills required to be successful within the summative practical assessment. ¿ Tasks within the tutorial sessions are designed to support key elements required to be successful within the summative exercise portfolio. Feedback will be provided in the following ways: ¿ Verbal feedback following lectures and during both tutorials and practical sessions. ¿ Feedback to specific queries via email, with responses being made available to all via SurreyLearn or during tutorials, as appropriate. ¿ Discussion boards will be made available each week and specific assessment discussion boards open to all. This will allow anonymous questions posed, or comments to be left. ¿ Written feedback will be provided following the practical assessment and on the exercise portfolio.

Module aims

• Develop a deep understanding of the classification, identification, and structure-function relationships of bones, joints, and muscles.
• Describe the intricacies of the musculoskeletal system and its role in human movement.
• Appreciate the interconnection between anatomical structure and physiological function, laying a solid foundation for further study.
• Equip students with fundamental knowledge essential for practical application in exercise, fitness, nutrition, and health promotion.
• Investigate the outcomes of physical activity, exercise training, and nutrition in promoting overall health and well-being.
• Explore psychological barriers to exercise and strategies to overcome them, fostering a holistic understanding of health behaviour change.
• Provide opportunities for students to develop professional skills relevant to the health and fitness industry.
• Develop effective communication skills for client assessment and program design.
• Enable students to design and deliver personalized exercise programs tailored to individual needs, integrating theoretical knowledge with practical application.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy has been created to ensure students attain the module's learning outcomes and competencies aligned with the curriculum framework, encompassing employability, digital capabilities, global and cultural intelligence, sustainability, resourcefulness, and resilience.

To achieve these objectives, a range of dynamic learning and teaching methods will be employed, including lectures, tutorials, seminars, practical sessions, guided learning, and independent study.

Students will have access to pre-recorded short videos and accompanying PDF slides outlining weekly learning outcomes and subject matter in advance of live sessions. These resources serve to establish foundational knowledge and understanding, facilitating active participation and deeper exploration during synchronous sessions.

Live sessions will encompass lectures, tutorials/seminars, and practical exercises. Tutorials and seminars will delve into key topics and professional skills essential for aspiring exercise professionals, such as risk stratification and client consultations. Building upon knowledge acquired in lectures and tutorials, practical classes will reinforce comprehension and foster the acquisition of practical and professional competencies. Active engagement in these sessions is encouraged, promoting collaboration and independence among students as they develop into well-informed and confident learners.

Furthermore, students will integrate insights gathered from concurrent modules, such as BMS1060 (Cell Biology and Biological Chemistry) and BMS1058 (Integrating Human Physiology), enhancing their understanding of anatomy and physiology.

Utilising the Virtual Learning Environment at Surrey (SurreyLearn), students will access lecture materials, useful links, and supplementary literature. SurreyLearn will serve as a vital platform for communication between academic staff and students, facilitating dialogue and the exchange of pertinent information. Outside of scheduled sessions, students are encouraged to engage in peer-supported learning via the module discussion forum on SurreyLearn, where guided moderation from staff will foster collaborative learning and address shared inquiries effectively.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMS1063

Other information

The School of Bioscience and Medicine is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas: Digital capability: Throughout the module students learn to navigate and utilise the Virtual Learning Environment at Surrey (SurreyLearn) and other digital resources to aid their learning. As part of the second assessment students will use global health and fitness training software / platform (Fitr) to design, plan and present their 4-week training programme. Once qualified as a gym instructor, students can use the platform at a discounted rate for the first 6 months of their career. Moreover, as part of this assessment students will need to make a video recording of key exercises using a video camera or mobile phone, which will require to be edited and embedded software. As with all modules, students are expected to engage with online material and resources via SurreyLearn, and other digital platforms. Students are encouraged to communicate with one another and utilsing peer to peer learning and collaborative learning using collaborative tools such as WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. Global & Cultural Capabilities: Students must work together in randomly assigned groups for both tutorial and practical sessions. This will require them to work together with people from different backgrounds and with different levels of existing experience. Students are encouraged to engage with, and learn from, diverse perspectives through interaction and teamwork. Furthermore, as part of the practical sessions, students will be required to instruct their group members to perform exercises and modify their teaching style to fit the person they are instructing. Sustainability: In this module students will study the importance of physical activity and exercise across the lifespan in relation to health and fitness. This relates to Goal 3 of the United Nations SDG (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages). More specifically, students will consider the epidemiological data regarding the relationship between physical inactivity / low fitness and non-communicable disease. Employability: As part module, and as requirements of both the portfolio and practical assessment, students will develop their soft skills (e.g. communication and interpersonal skills). Similarly, within the practical sessions the students will receive training in coaching, teaching, and presentation, all of which are essential moving forward in the degree programme and will help to build essential employability skills. The programme is accredited by CIMSPA, and as such, the programme is already designed to equip students with all the core competencies required to work in industry as a Gym Instructors and/or Personal Trainer. This module is a key module that provides fundamental knowledge required to be successful within these roles. Resourcefulness & Resilience: The learning, teaching and assessment strategy for this module has been designed to encourage active participation, peer support and reflective engagement. Through the module students must work as part of a group and need to learn how to manage workloads, deadlines. They will also need to research and use online and print resources to support their learning and the completion of their assignments.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.