University is supporting local community with expert advice around health and fitness

University of Gloucestershire has joined forces with the Physiological Society to help students and the local community improve their personal health and fitness, as part of Physiology Week 2023.

Supported by a grant from the Physiological Society, the University will host a public lecture featuring four world-leading sport and exercise physiologists, and offer screening for a number of health conditions to University staff, students and the public.

The activities will all take place at the University’s Oxstalls Campus on Thursday, 23 November, during Physiology Week 2023 (20-24 November), which will feature a number of events around the world to raise awareness of physiology science and research.

The University’s Dr Louise Turner and Dr Simon Fryer (pictured below) will be joined at the public lecture – entitled ‘Keeping our heart and lungs healthy’ –  by the University of Winchester’s Professor James Faulkner and Nottingham Trent University’s Dr Neil Williams, to explore the health benefits of physical activity and the negative impact of a sedentary lifestyle.

The lecture (4.30pm to 5.30pm) is free to attend but places must be booked in advance.

Earlier in the day, the University will provide free screening, carried out by supervised BSc Sport and Exercise students, for hypertension, lung and heart disfunction and atrial fibrillation – a commonly unknown and untreated heart condition – to its staff, students and the local community.

The screening will take place near the main reception at the Oxstalls Campus between 10am and 3pm, and no advance booking is required.

Dr Turner, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming members of our local community, as well as our staff and students, to our public lecture ‘Keeping our heart and lungs healthy’ where we’ll be providing observations and advice based on our extensive research around physiology.

“We’ll be discussing a number of topics about the health benefits of exercise, including key approaches to improving physical activity, the negative effects of sitting down for long spells, how to exercise after a stroke, and effective ways to keep the heart and lungs healthy for elite athletes and the recreational exerciser.”

Healthy, happy and active lives

Dr Fryer, Senior Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Physiology, added: “We’re delighted to have collaborated with the Physiological Society to provide our staff, students and our local community with the benefit of screening to help them enjoy healthy, happy and active lives.

“We’re very grateful to the Physiological Society for providing one of the devices that our BSc Sport and Exercise students will be operating to screen for a number of potentially dangerous health conditions.

“Where we feel it is necessary, we will advise people to refer any health concerns raised by the screening to their GP so they can be addressed.

“As well as providing health benefits to everyone who undergoes screening, the initiative is an extremely important learning opportunity for our BSc Sport and Exercise students.”