Sport and Exercise Science students working in the community

Students on our Sport and Exercise Science BSc(Hons) course have been gaining hands-on experience working in the community as part of their course.

Students on the Personal and Professional Development module have helped with the launch of our new exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme, The Active Recovery Programme. The programme has been developed by course leader Dr Louisa Beale in collaboration with Freedom Leisure, with funding from the cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support via Albion in the Community, and an ECHO grant.

The programme aims to help cancer patients lead more active, healthier and happier lives during every stage of their treatment by improving physical fitness, psychological well-being and quality of life, maintaining a healthy weight, managing side effects of cancer treatment and reducing risk factors for cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases.

Students Jack Blenkarn and Ella Stapleton are helping to promote the programme at local cancer support groups, assisting the exercise instructors who lead the group exercise sessions, and conducting exercise tests, psychological assessments and measuring physical activity levels of participants when they join and then complete the three-month programme.

Students on the Exercise Referral and Rehabilitation Module have been visiting our Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme to see how practice links to the theoretical aspects they have learnt in lectures and seminars. They have been meeting the participants on the programme, finding out their reasons and motivations for attending the twice weekly exercise classes, evaluating the cardiovascular and resistance exercises that are tailored to each individual, and reflecting on the professional skills and personal qualities needed to work as a cardiac rehabilitation exercise specialist.

Anett Pocsai, a final year student on the Exercise and Health Science BSc route, is one of our regular student volunteers, who starts her BACPR Exercise Instructor’s training in March alongside her degree, having won a University of Brighton ECHO award for excellence. Anett’s dissertation study investigates self-efficacy and exercise intensity regulation in heart disease.

Anett worked as a volunteer on the cardiac rehabilitation programme at Eastbourne District General Hospital during her second year, completed a week’s work experience in the Cardiology Department earlier this year, and has applied for the NHS Scientist Training Programme for 2020.