Syllabus Information

5.1. Methodological overview

Physical activity and specific populations is designed based on essential theoretical knowledge, and acquires an eminently practical and applied orientation. It is intended that the students will be able to apply in practice the theoretical and practical knowledge that they have acquired in the module.

To achieve this, lectures and practical sessions are intercalated to optimize the learning process, reducing the time that elapses since students acquire theoretical knowledge until they apply them. Also, the direct contact with different associations, and professionals of physical activity and specific populations, will give the students a more real vision of this work. All this will be combined in the seminars, where the answering of practical problems and cases will bring students closer to the situations they would confront working in the field of physical activity and health in specific populations.

5.2. Learning tasks

1. Lectures. Onsite. 15 hours. Here, students will be presented with the basic theoretical knowledge of the module, which will deal with the topics stated in the syllabus. Participatory lectures will be used and during the presentations, dialogue will be promoted through questioning, the use of problem-based learning, etc. always looking for an active methodology. Exhibitions will be based on diagrams and illustrations using PowerPoint presentations.
2. Seminars. Onsite. 22,5 hours*. It will usually take place in a standard lecture room, and always in reduced groups of students. With this activity will work different topics related to the module’s syllabus in a critical way and will seek the active participation of students. There will be readings, videos, etc ... and, later, key points will be investigated for of each resource.
3. Practical sessions. Onsite. 22,5 hours*. They will also take place in reduced groups, in different facilities of the Faculty, biomedical laboratory, gym, indoor court ... or in facilities external to the University, having real contact with people who work with specific populations.
4. Individual work. Autonomous work. At least, 90 hours. It will seek to reinforce autonomous learning, through the performance of assays and personal study. In both compulsory assignment and, if applicable, optional essay, students must demonstrate sufficient autonomous work capacity and both must be agreed with the teacher.
5. Tutorials. Onsite, non-compulsory. Dedicated to solve doubts or provide specific bibliography on a specific subject in relation to the lectures or practical contents of the module. In addition, assignments will be followed up herein. Although the teacher might answer a specific question via email, the tutorials will always be carried out in person and with prior agreement of the time with the teacher.
6. Event attendance. Onsite, non-compulsory. Given the scientific nature of the module, attendance / participation in courses, congresses, seminars, etc ... on scientific topics, related to physical activity and health will be taken into account, being especially relevant if the activity is organized by the University of Zaragoza. Always consult first with the module's lecturer to clarify whether it is a scientific activity.

* Both seminars and practical sessions can be modified in time, after consensus with the students, in order to be able to go to external facilities (associations, gyms...).

5.3. Syllabus

Below are the topics that will be treated during the module lectures; nevertheless, some hot topics, in relation to the module’s syllabus that may arise in the course of the academic year might be also commented during the module.

• Topic 1           Background and contextualization
• Topic 2           Physical activity assessment
• Topic 3           Sedentarism
• Topic 4           Physical fitness assessment
• Topic 5           Children and adolescents
• Topic 6           Elderly
• Topic 7           Pregnant women
• Topic 8           Intellectual disability
• Topic 9           Physical impairment
• Topic 10         Sensory impairment
• Topic 11         Cardiorespiratory diseases
• Topic 12         Metabolic diseases
• Topic 13         Obesity
• Topic 14         Osteoporosis
• Topic 15         Musculoskeletal diseases
• Topic 16         Mental health
• Topic 17         Cancer

5.4. Course planning and calendar

The weekly planning of this module is 1 hour lecture, and 3 hours in seminars and practical sessions, which will be done according to the official timetable that appears on the website of the Faculty at the beginning of the corresponding academic year. However, in order to promote a more enriching learning, taking into account the academic calendar, the availability of the students and also of the associations / professionals to visit, the final weekly planning will be agreed at the beginning of the course and will be informed in advance In Moodle.

In general, the weekly planning of the course is as follows:

• Lectures on Tuesdays, single group, where the topics exposed in the syllabus will be presented.

• Seminars on Tuesdays, in 3 groups, where different themes will be worked, in relation to the module’s syllabus, in a more plural way, with debates, role playing, etc.

• Practical sessions on Thursday, in 4 groups, where students will work in an applied and eminently practical way, the topics explained in both lectures and seminars.

Specifically, this academic year, the calendar is as follows:

* This schedule may be altered when some scientific activity (courses, congresses, seminars), interesting for the module, is organized by the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports, the University of Zaragoza or similar centers.

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources

The updated bibliography of the subject can be found in the following link: http://psfunizar7.unizar.es/br13/eGrados.php?id=257

As a summary, the basic bibliography of the module includes the following resources:

• Ejercicio físico y salud en poblaciones especiales : EXERNET / José Antonio Casajús (coord.), Germán Vicente -Rodríguez (coord.) Madrid Consejo Superior de Deportes, Servicio de Documentación y Publicaciones 2011.
• Exercise as medicine – evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in 26 different chronic diseases / B. K. Pedersen and B. Saltin, Scand J Med Sci Sports, 2015.
• Exercise in health and disease : evaluation and prescription for prevention and rehabilitation / Michael L. Pollock, Jack H. Wilmore. . - 2nd ed. Philadelphia [etc.] : W.B. Saunders, 1990.

And the recommended bibliography includes the following publications:

• Wilmore, Jack H.. Fisiología del esfuerzo y del deporte / Jack H. Wilmore, David L. Costill . - 6ª ed., rev. y aum. Barcelona : Paidotribo, cop. 2007
• Heyward, Vivian H.. Advanced fitness assessment and exercise prescription / Vivian H. Heyward. . - 6th ed. Champaign, Il. : Human Kinetics; 2010
• López Chicharro, José.. Fisiologia clínica del ejercicio / José López Chicharro, Luis Miguel López Mojares. Madrid [etc.] : Editorial Médica Panamericana, D.L. 2008.
• Rahl, Riva L.. Physical activity and health guidelines : recommendations for various ages, fitness levels, and conditions from 57 authoritative sources / Riva L. Rahl Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, cop. 2010