Physical Activity, Sport and Health

Objectives

Physical exercise is the perfect paradigm of healthy habits. Practising regularly can help reduce the risk of serious diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer, etc.), while also significantly reducing the likelihood of dying prematurely.

Exercise is not only an important preventive element, but also represents a first-class health generator, which allows the integral well-being of the person to be included within the concept of health, in the biological, psychological and social dimensions.

However, even though it is a free, accessible, autonomous and fast "treatment", we often neglect its practice.

The main objectives of this subject are:

• Exemplify physical activity and sport as main elements of medical prescription in all its components (preventive, curative and palliative).
• Train students to prescribe physical exercise in daily clinical activity.

Learning outcomes

• Recognise the importance of physical exercise as a primary healthy habit.
• Incorporate the prescription of physical activity as a key therapeutic strategy.
• Apply a well-founded and appropriate prescription of exercise in the majority of diseases.

Competencies

General skills

• Ensure adequate knowledge of written and spoken English, taking into account an appropriate medical register in order to be able to communicate effectively in the international scientific and professional community.

Specific skills

• Be able to make an initial diagnosis and establish a rational diagnostic strategy.
• Obtain and make medical records that contain all relevant information.
• Perform a physical examination and a mental assessment.
• Understand the basic components of the medical profession, including ethical principles, legal responsibilities and patient-centred professional practice.

Basic skills

• Students have demonstrated knowledge and understanding in a field of study that builds on general secondary education with the support of advanced textbooks and knowledge of the latest advances in this field of study.
• Students have developed the learning skills necessary to undertake further studies with a high degree of independent learning.
• Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) in order to make judgements that include reflection on relevant social, scientific and ethical issues.

Core skills

• Be a critical thinker before knowledge in all its dimensions. Show intellectual, cultural and scientific curiosity and a commitment to professional rigour and quality.
• Display professional skills in complex multidisciplinary contexts, working in networked teams, whether face-to-face or online, through use of information and communication technology.
• Use oral, written and audiovisual forms of communication, in one's own language and in foreign languages, with a high standard of use, form and content.

Content

• Physical activity and health
• Physical activity in the most common health problems
• Sports health
• Nutrition and sport
• Physical condition assessment
• Physical activity prescription
• Community promotion of physical activity

Evaluation

Final evaluation (consists of 3 elements)

• 30% Each student must upload all assignments, including group assignments, to their own space on the Virtual Campus in order to be evaluated (yes/no)
• 20% face-to-face lessons are assessed, not including participation (yes/no)
• 50% papers written in English are scored higher.

If you fail, one resit activity is offered in the 15 days following the end of the subject.

To be assessed you must attend 60% of the course.

Methodology

The methodology is fundamentally participation and is based on a combination of the following teaching methods:

• Learning based on clinical cases
• Workshops or seminars
• Lectures