Sports Therapy students offer free checks on fitness

Staff and students on the BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy degree course at the College have been offering free mini fitness checks to adults in Birmingham and the surrounding area, as part of National Obesity Awareness week.

A drop in session was organised at The Spa, to raise awareness of the dangers of being overweight and unfit, which was open to anyone over the age of 18.

Elaine Mandeville, Higher Education Co-ordinator in the School of Sports Therapy, said: "We know that obesity is a growing problem in the UK with over two-thirds of the adult population either overweight or obese. Many people are not aware of the associated health risks. We want to help people understand the benefits of exercise and how just small changes in lifestyle could add years to their lives.

"Our students profile health and fitness as part of their Sports Therapy degree programme. They also run a sports injury clinic, in conjunction with the Sports Therapy staff, both for the public and our college students. We thought this was an ideal opportunity for the students to put some of their skills into practice and help play a positive role in the community."

The fitness check covered some key health indicators like body fat measurement, skin fold testing, blood pressure testing, height and weight. The students also looked at lifestyle analysis, nutrition guidelines and general exercise advice.

Sports Therapy is a growing profession in the UK and the College hopes to play a big role in the health of sportspeople as well as the public in the future.

Elaine said: "We hope with events like this we can raise the profile of Sports Therapists as professionals and help the public understand about skills that graduate sports therapists have.

"With sport so clearly on the government agenda and with the 2012 Olympics now a reality, we are very hopeful that many of our students are going to be playing a key role in the health and fitness of the nation in the future."