Flexible
Online
Advancing Healthcare: Exercise Prescription
Overview
| Subject Area | Physiotherapy |
| Credits | 5 |
| NFQ | 9 |
| EFQ | 7 |
| Start Date | January 2025 |
| Duration | 10 Weeks |
| Mode of Delivery | Online, On-demand |
| Course Leader | Deirdre Ryan |
| Fee | €650 50% Learner Fee Subsidy |
| Application Deadline | 10 January 2025 |
Regular physical activity is integral for health and well-being and is considered to be one of the most modifiable risk factors in the development of chronic non-communicable disease (NCD). In order to combat the current trend of inactivity and the prevalence of chronic disease globally, essential knowledge of the fundamental principles behind physical activity promotion and exercise prescription, and their associated health benefits is required amongst practicing healthcare professionals. Equally important is an understanding of how to implement these lifestyle changes in a sustainable manner to empower individuals to adopt healthy active lives.
The Advancing Healthcare: Exercise Prescription micro-credential is designed to upskill healthcare professionals in their understanding of safe, effective and evidence-based exercise prescription for healthy and clinical populations. This includes; understanding when the prescription of exercise is safe and appropriate, and identifying when medical reviews are necessary for individuals deemed at risk of having an adverse experience from physically exercising with an underlying health condition. The combined approach of adhering to current stratification protocols and personal judgement will be required when evaluating the potential risk of exercise for each individual. The micro-credential will prepare learners to conduct screening, risk stratification, and appropriate health and functional assessments prior to creating evidence-based exercise programmes. It will also outline referral pathways to quality, safe, and effective supervised exercise opportunities for individuals living with established NCD who require specialist care.
Key Features
This flexible micro-credential is designed for all allied health professionals, including but not limited to Dieticians, Physiotherapists, Occupations Therapists, Doctors, Nurses, etc. who want to provide excellence in continuity of care to their patients.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this micro-credential, you will be able to:
- Understand the health benefits that occur with regular physical activity.
- Describe the underlying physiological changes that occur with exercise.
- Understand how to safely and effectively measure physical activity levels across populations.
- List the contraindications and precautions to exercise participation, including how to risk stratify individuals for physical activity and describe the fundamentals of exercise screening and testing.
- Understand how to prescribe, design, and implement an individualised, safe physical exercise programmes.
- Promote strategies to encourage long-term exercise adoption among patients.
- Physical activity epidemiology and the benefits of exercise.
- Fundamentals of exercise physiology.
- Measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
- Exercise screening and testing.
- Exercise prescription and programming.
- Exercise adoption and adherence.
- Embedding physical activity and exercise in health systems.
- Case studies (across a lifespan).
Completing this micro-credential will give access to evidence-based information surrounding physical activity and exercise, bestowing the learner with knowledge and understanding in this important field of health.
The graduates of this course will hold a micro-credential certificate in optimising exercise prescription, enabling important conversations with patients surrounding physical activity and health. It is highly-important to recognise the context where these conversations are beneficial and where it will be important to refer the patients onwards. The increased understanding gained from this course may also contribute to improved practices in your line of work, ultimately optimising the health of the clients in your field of practice.
This completely online micro-credential is designed to be completed independently, in your own time. This on-demand learning can empower potential students who may be working in industry or in part-time jobs with moving hours to fit this course into their schedule. The course is made up of a series of interactive online lectures, which are complemented by online resources such as papers, videos, and transcripts of the lessons.
This course is 5 ECTS, requiring approximately 100 hours of learning in total.
Applicants must have a minimum BSc qualification (NFQ level 8) in allied healthcare. Proof of healthcare qualification is necessary, this may be in the form of proof of registration with their relevant Professional Body, e.g CORU. Where this is not possible, University transcripts will suffice.
Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate proof of English proficiency as per UCD's minimum English language requirements.
All applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
- MCQ exam
- Project on physical activity or exercise prescription
- Discussion Board participation
Feedback individually to students, post-assessment.
The School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science's Advancing Healthcare: Optimising Nutrition and Advancing Healthcare: Behaviour Change Principles for Healthy Living micro-credentials may also be of interest to learners.
If you have any questions about this micro-credential, or would like to speak to a UCD staff member, please contact (opens in a new window)microcredentials@ucd.ie.
Please note: Learners can avail of only one form of funding per application.
Micro-Credentials Learner Fee Subsidy-Human Capital Initiative Pillar 3
The HCI Pillar 3 Micro-credential Learner Fee Subsidy has been introduced to enable more learners to address critical skills gaps and engage with lifelong learning through micro-credentials. The HCI Pillar 3 Micro-credential Learner Fee Subsidy is funded by Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
HCI Micro-credential Learner Fee Subsidies are available on identified micro-credentials only and in fixed numbers from March 2024 until October 2025.
Please see Eligibility Criteria for further information.