AN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING APPROACH TO TEACHING EXERCISE THEORY IN PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION

J. Allen¹, L. Morris¹, M. Latrous¹

¹Qatar University, Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science, Doha, Qatar

Background: Despite the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) that adults partake in moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (PA) for at least 150-300 minutes per week, 41.6% of adults in Qatar do not meet the WHO guidelines for PA. Further, 70.1% of adults in Qatar are overweight or obese. The Qatari National Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults engage in moderate-intensity exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes at least 5 days per week or vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes 3 days per week. Health promotion interventions at universities provide one way to motivate adults to increase their PA levels. Given that physical therapists prescribe exercise as one of the primary modes of treatment, it is vital that they are skilled in demonstrating exercises for patients through having experienced exercising themselves. Moreover, World Physiotherapy recommends that physical therapy curricula employ ‘learning by doing’ through practical sessions.

Purpose: To integrate into physical therapy curricula experiential learning through student participation in regular exercise sessions.

Methods: Qatar University Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science program students completed gym safety training and the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire+ form, and received medical clearance if indicated prior to participation in exercise sessions. The instructor taught the students exercise techniques and cueing. The students practiced these skills on each other. They participated in exercise sessions 1-2 times per week over 10 weeks during the winter semester of 2022. They were encouraged to exercise independently at home on other days. The students were advised to maintain a target heart rate between 60-90% of their maximum heart rate, based on the Karvonen calculation. Exercise sessions included cardiovascular warm ups, dynamic stretches, 2-3 sets of at least 4 strength training exercises performed in a circuit, and static stretching. The exercise sessions lasted between 30-60 minutes. The strength training exercises were carried out as calisthetic exercises or with dumbbells and some exercises were performed using Swiss balls. The instructor guided and supervised the students during the exercise sessions throughout the semester.

Results: The students were able to participate in exercise sessions of longer lengths as the semester progressed and their endurance improved. They submitted reflective writing assignments based on their experiences exercising throughout the semester and they explained the impacts this had on their physical and mental health, wellbeing and academic performance. They noted that they experienced a positive impact on their mood and mental health after they exercised and that they felt progressively stronger.

Conclusions: The experiential approach to teaching exercise theory allowed for the integration of a health promotion program of exercise which may have helped Qatar University physical therapy students to adopt healthier lifestyles long term. Future research should be undertaken to quantify the impact of an exercise intervention as a component of physical therapy curriculum on students’ physical and mental health, wellbeing and academic performance.

Implications: Experiential learning in the form of participation in a supervised exercise program throughout a semester may be utilized instead of traditional pedagogical instruction when teaching exercise theory to physical therapy students.

Funding acknowledgements: None.

Keywords:
Physical activity
Physical therapy
Education

Topics:
Education: methods of teaching & learning
Education
Musculoskeletal

Did this work require ethics approval? No

Reason: The exercise sessions were embedded within the curriculum and hence weren't part of a research project. However this process has provided valuable information on how to carry out research study.