Course Overview
Exercise Physiologists utilize exercise tests to evaluate fitness and functional capacity in order to design effective exercise prescriptions – personalized exercise plan – to increase an individual’s fitness, achieve specific fitness goals, manage specific health conditions, or improve physical function and quality of life. This course is designed to introduce students into the field of exercise physiology and demonstrate common skills that individuals in the health-and-fitness field use in their professional daily lives.
Students will gain perspective on the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct exercise tests and develop personalized exercise prescriptions. Students will explore pre-exercise screenings and risk stratification, the physiological principles of exercise training, assessment techniques, types of exercises and their corresponding muscle groups, and the development of safe and effective exercise programs. Each class will be divided into a lecture followed by a lab in which students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience performing exercise tests and practice designing an exercise prescription.
All students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion and have the opportunity to request a Syracuse University noncredit transcript.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Perform pre-exercise health screenings and risk assessment to gauge the safety of exercise for an individual.
- Conduct various fitness assessments and interpret the results accurately.
- Understand the fundamental training principles and how they influence the development of an exercise prescription.
- Design exercise prescriptions tailored to individual goals and needs based off their exercise testing results.
- Identify the appropriate modes of exercises to reach specific fitness goals.
- Consider principles of exercise safety and risk management in the general population and special populations.
Course Information
Course Prefix and Number: SCN 184
Format: On Campus (at Syracuse University)
Eligibility: Students must be of rising high school sophomore, junior, or senior status – or a 2024 high school graduate.
Credit: Noncredit
Grading: Pass/Fail
Cost:
- Residential: $4,095
- Commuter: $3,166
Program rates are subject to change and will be approved by the board of trustees. Discounts and scholarships are also available.
Program Information
Summer College – On Campus: Experience what college is really like: take a college-level course, live in a residence hall, have meals with friends in a dining hall, and participate in activities and events on campus.
Course Dates and Details
| Program | Course Dates | Class Time (Eastern Time) | Credit/Noncredit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer College – On Campus | 2-Week Session I: Monday, July 8 – Friday, July 19, 2024 | MTWThF; 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Noncredit | Open |
Course Requirements
Required Supplies
Computer/laptop and internet accessibility. Athletic attire: comfortable exercise clothes and tennis shoes.
Typical Day
Tentative Schedule
Each class will be split into two parts: lecture and lab. During lecture, we will learn about various exercise tests to evaluate different exercise parameters and how to design effective exercise prescription to improve fitness and functionality. After lecture, we will then use what we learned in lecture to practice conducting an exercise test or designing an exercise prescription. Lecture: 10am – 12 pm. Lunch: 12pm – 12:30 pm. Lab: 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm.
Faculty Bios
Alaina Glasgow
Alaina Glasgow (goes by Lainie) is a current PhD student in Exercise Science studying cardiovascular physiology. She completed her undergraduate and Master’s degrees at Kent State University. Lainie has been working in the field of exercise physiology since 2016 and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist. She has been a teaching assistant for several classes including Exercise Physiology, Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Environmental Physiology. Her areas of research interest include vascular hemodynamics, cerebral blood flow, autonomic function, cardiovascular risk in underrepresented populations, and exercise as a non-pharmaceutical treatment for disease, disability, and quality of life. Lainie has worked as a trainer to design and implement effective exercise prescriptions to improve functionality and quality of life in an array of general and clinical populations.