85355 - Physical Activities, Recreation and Wellness

Learning outcomes

The student will acquire skills relating to: - exercise programs for fitness and well-being; - how to identify activities that improve the quality of life and how to organize and supervise such activities; - how to evaluate individuals’ fitness; - exercise equipment for fitness and wellness; - the meaning of wellness and wellness community.

Course contents

Introduction to the course. Aim and outline of course. Introductory activities. Explanation of exam.

Health and fitness motivations. Problems related to lifestyle and time use.

Social motivations. Personal and social development.

Wellness motivations. Wellness movement. Salutogenesis.

Motivation towards activity. Theories of motivation. Applying theories to real-world situations.

Ethical considerations. Promoting safety in the recreational activity environment.

Preparation of an activity session. Leading an activity session. Working with others. Completing an activities session. Concluding activities. Review

Recreation programming. Preparation phase. Implementation phase. Working with other organisations. Evaluation phase.

Exercise-based activities. Light exercises. Pilates

Relaxation-based activities. Physiological and psychological bases of relaxation. Relaxation techniques. Movement as relaxation. Yoga

Outdoor activities in the natural environment. Adventurous activities. Exploration, understanding and respect of the natural environment. Equestrian activities

Indoor and pool-based activities. Dance-related activities. Dance as exercise. Dance as social activity. Water-based activities.

Conclusions. Review and discussion of course content. Preparation for exam

Readings/Bibliography

Reading materials will be provided, in pdf format, before each class.

Teaching methods

Students will learn by reading the preparatory materials provided and by attending classes. During each class, time will be divided between frontal lectures with audio-visual support, and team-based exercises in which students in small groups will together tackle problems set during the class. Students will be encouraged to share their diversity of experience and knowledge to develop a team response to each problem.

Assessment methods

The final exam will consist of two parts.

I. A written test in multiple choice format.

The first part of the exam aims to test the breadth of the student’s knowledge across all the topics covered during the lessons. There will be 16 questions, and for each question 5 possible answers will be provided. Students must answer at least half of the questions correctly, to be admitted to the second part of the exam.

II. An oral test consisting of (at least) two questions.

i. The student will be asked to talk on an topic related to the subjects covered during the course, to demonstrate the depth of their knowledge.

ii. The student will be asked to discuss a problem following on from one encountered during the lessons, to evaluate their critical thinking skills with regard to the course as a whole.

The oral test will be conducted in English.

Teaching tools

PC and video projector

Office hours

See the website of David Neil Manners

See the website of Leydi Natalia Vittori

See the website of Leydi Natalia Vittori