Saint Xavier University’s (SXU) recently established Exercise Science program joins a long list of well-renowned nursing and health programs designed to give SXU graduates a competitive edge in the job market.
“We’re a brand-new program underneath the Nursing Department and Health Sciences. We’re excited to be a brand-new major here on campus,” said newly-minted Exercise Science program head Brad Leshinske, remarking that he believes that “Exercise Science is… one of the most popular majors in all of higher education.”
The program, an interdisciplinary collaboration between the University’s numerous psychology and health departments, instructs students on the “scientific study and understanding of the physiological, biomechanical, and psychological effect on the human body,” as stated by the program’s entry on the school’s online catalog.
“The students learn first and foremost how to critically think, communicate, and how community plays a role in health and wellness… The program curricular is designed to have the student understand the basic way the body is affected by exercise for both sport and life,” said Leshinske.
Assessment of daily and sports-related activities through the lens of Kinesiology, motor behavior and the like, the professor elaborates, will round out the subject matter students can expect from Exercise Science, all of which is to be capped by students designing practical exercise and resistance programs.
“We are going to go ahead and take students through not only the theory of exercise, but how that theory applies to the field of Exercise Science,” said Leshinske.
Along with the physical aspects of Exercise Science, SXU’s program will also focus on the psychological aspects and social issues of diseases and disabilities to further equip students with practical, worldly knowledge going into the field.
“The discussion on disabilities and diseases dive into the ability to know about certain conditions, how to evaluate those conditions, and how to modify exercises to help those [who] have disabilities,” said Leshinske.
To that end, students often take textbook routines and traditional knowledge of how the human body responds to movement and applies them to real-world situations.
Robert Staszak, a student enrolled in one of the Exercise Science classes, stated, “We do a lot of hands-on work with body mechanics, stuff like the functional movement screen, [which is] used to test athletes before they get into training,” and observed that many exercise tests can be adapted or redesigned for use by those with disabilities.
Furthermore, Leshinske commented that a degree in Exercise Science has considerable versatility within the modern job market, and opines that the maturing field is of great benefit to society.
“The Exercise Science and Wellness majors are on a steady rise… We also know as allied health profession[als] that we will have more elderly than youth by the year 2040. We have to make living healthy a priority, [and] having a major that specifies in this area is a key to the longevity of our citizens,” said Leshinske.
Careers in Physiology, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Personal Training, Coaching, and many other exercise and wellness fields are open to those with a degree in Exercise Science, the professor noted.
As if to reflect Leshinske’s sentiments, there are already plans to expand the program in the future.
“We do have a lab coming. Equipment has been purchased and final arrangements are in place for the lab to be ready by Spring of 2019… We also hope to have a minor by 2019 and hopefully a Master’s [Program] by 2021,” said Leshinske.
Joshua Mira
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