General Education Mission and Sociocultural and Wellness Objectives

To invite students to know themselves intellectually, emotionally, and physically and to consider the connections between values and behavior.

After completing the Sociocultural and Wellness Gened requirements, students should be able to:

1. Understand the dimensions of wellness, the various factors affecting each dimension, and how dimensions are interrelated.
2. Understand the relationship between personal behaviors and lifelong health and wellness.
3. Recognize an individual’s level of health and wellness and understand how these levels impact quality of life.
4. Identify and implement strategies that improve an individual’s wellness.

This course is designed to help students adopt and maintain the behaviors associated with an active and healthy lifestyle. Students will learn the facts about fitness, wellness, and physical activity, become an informed fitness, wellness, and exercise consumer, and plan their own personal lifetime fitness and wellness program. Through this course, students will learn the importance of maintaining fitness and wellness through a physically active lifestyle. Through lectures and physical activity labs, students will study and develop the behavioral patterns consistent with the current knowledge base in fitness and wellness.

KIN 100 - Lifetime Fitness & Wellness is unique for three reasons:

1. It addresses the concept of wellness, providing students the opportunity to examine the multitude of lifestyle factors that influence quality of life as well as risk for chronic diseases.
2. A considerable portion of the course will be devoted to physical activity and fitness. The emphasis on fitness is understandable in view of the impact fitness has on the other components of wellness. Specifically, the level of physical activity and fitness an individual maintains will directly influence his/her physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual wellness.
3. Students will combine cognitive and active learning through the lectures, lab “connections”, and physical activity participation. This combination of learning experiences is designed to help students acquire the knowledge, skill and behavior changes necessary to make positive lifestyle choices and optimize their well-being.

KIN 100 is a general education class designed for ALL students in the university regardless of major area of study. The assumption is that all college graduates can experience the health benefits of appropriate regular physical activity. The class allows each student to plan a program of physical activity to meet his/her unique needs and interests and develop independent self-management skills to make healthy decisions throughout life.

KIN 100 is for people of all fitness levels, abilities, and ages. The ultimate goal is to help students plan for a lifetime of fitness, wellness, and physical activity.

Course Topics

• Introduction to Wellness, Fitness, and Lifestyle Management
• Basic Principles of Physical Fitness
• Cardiorespiratory Endurance
• Muscular Strength and Endurance
• Flexibility
• Body Mechanics: Posture & Care of the Back & Neck
• Body Composition
• Goal Setting
• Development and Implementing a Personalized Fitness/Wellness Plan
• The Use of Pedometers
• Using Self-Management Skills to Adhere to Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors
• Substance Use and Abuse
• Nutrition
• Weight Management
• Stress & Health
• The Health Benefits of Physical Activity
• Cancer, Diabetes, and Other Health Threats
• Recognizing Quackery: Becoming an Informed Consumer

Physical Activity Lab Topics

• Cardio/Strength. Interested in learning how to design a fitness program that fits your goals? This section will provide you with the knowledge and skill needed to utilize a variety of weight training equipment (machines, resistance bands, body weight, etc.) and cardiovascular equipment (treadmill, elliptical, cycles, etc.) to develop a plan that works for you.
• Half-marathon. This course will involve training to complete the half-marathon (13.1 miles) in Rehoboth Beach, DE in December. Race entrance fee and funds for travel (i.e. hotel, meals, etc.) will be the student’s responsibility. Class will occasionally meet on Fridays and/or Saturdays for off campus runs – see course outline for complete schedule. Permission of the instructor is required. Contact Mr. Bill Walton (waltonwd@jmu.edu) for more information.
• Marathon. This course will involve training to complete the marathon (26.2 miles) in Rehoboth Beach, DE in December. Race entrance fee and funds for travel (i.e. hotel, meals, etc.) will be the student’s responsibility. Class will occasionally meet on Fridays and/or Saturdays for off campus runs – see course outline for complete schedule. Permission of the instructor is required. Contact Mr. Bill Walton (waltonwd@jmu.edu) for more information.
• Run/Walk. This course is designed students at all levels of ability who enjoy running and want to learn more about how to design an effective training method that can help you increase your fitness faster, recover from hard workouts quicker, and return from injury with less chance of relapse. Resistance training, stretching, yoga and other activities will also be incorporated into your training.
• Swim Conditioning. This course is designed to enable swimmers to improve stroke efficiency as well as overall fitness.  The class will be in a swim workout format: workouts will include a warm up, main workout, and a cool down. Workouts vary in focus from sprinting, long distance endurance, and stroke technique.  This is not a learn-to-swim course. Students must be comfortable in both shallow and deep water and be capable of swimming at least 25 yards (the length of the pool) comfortably and confidently without stopping.
• Tai Chi & Fitness. This course will be a blend of learning the 24-form Tai Chi set (Yang style) with functional strength sessions to help develop upper, lower body and core strength. Sessions will include both fitness and tai chi practice. Fitness sessions will include but are not limited to, jump ropes, walking, jogging, resistance bands, plyometrics, and yoga.
• 10K.  The 10K (6.2 miles) distance is very popular with beginner runners, especially those who have done a 5K race but don't feel they're quite ready to take on the half-marathon (13.1 miles). This course is designed to provide you with a training schedule that will help get you to the finish line.  Class will occasionally meet off campus on weekends for longer runs – see course outline for complete schedule. Students will run a 10K (6.2 miles) in Harrisonburg in December.
• Triathlon. This course will involve training to complete a sprint distance triathlon: ¼-mile swim, 12-mile bike and 3.1-mile run.  The event will be held on JMU campus (Tentative dates; November 17 or 24, 2019). Participation and completion of the triathlon are required for this class. If you sign up for the course, you need to clear these dates now.  All participants will need to supply their own working, maintenance free, bike and be able to swim a minimum of 12 minutes non-stop (Note: this is not “a learn to swim” course). Class will occasionally meet off campus on weekends for runs and transition workouts – see course outline for complete schedule.
• Yoga. This course is designed to introduce foundational yoga postures, breathing techniques, and relaxation methods with the goal of bringing about a sound, healthy body and a clear, peaceful mind. Instruction will start from the beginner level and progress over the course of the semester. Each student is required to purchase and bring their own yoga mat to class.