Santa Ana College- Department of Kinesiology
Syllabus for Kinesiology 209 (92885) - Exercise for Special Populations
Mark P. Kelly, Ph.D., CSCS, ACE-CPT
Instructor Contacts: kelly_mark@sac.edu
Overview
This course is designed as an overview of how to train clients with special needs. Emphasis is placed on
understanding special populations related to age, medical condition, and level of fitness. Topics include
cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic conditions, orthopedic and physical disabilities, chronic conditions
related to immune and hematologic areas, and various life stage conditions such as pregnancy and
postpartum women, as well as children and elderly, and neurologic/psychologic, and sensory disorders.
Students will examine and research how to train apparently healthy adults with special needs.
Student Learning Outcomes
Besides the content and specific skills, this course will provide opportunities to enhance other skills needed in
the real world such as:
a) Thinking and Reasoning- using creative thinking you will be able to select and adapt exercises to
meet the needs of an individual with multiple concomitant conditions.
b) Appreciating diversity- students will be able to build a rapport with, collaborate with, and design
exercise routines for diverse people including older adults and people of different cultural and
physical abilities.
c) Civic responsibility- students will be able to appraise fitness center facilities based upon an
understanding of federal legislation and universal design principles.
d) Careers- students will delineate the role of a fitness specialist from rehabilitation services.
Course Objectives
After taking this course, students should be able to:
1) Explain what the term “exercise is medicine” means and how it is put into action.
2) Understand the major physiological systems as they normally function and what alterations certain
pathological conditions might cause.
3) Understand what medications may do to these conditions and how exercise affects them.
4) Analyze a given clients from testing and develop a training program to help their condition
5) Recognize when a condition is beyond your scope of practice and refer them appropriately.
Course Content and Required Book
This course will use:
1) Required Text- none, Supplementary- Kenney, W.L., Wilmore, J.H., & D.L. Costill- Physiology of
Sport and Exercise 5th Ed. (2012). Human Kinetics, Champaign IL. Also: Durstein, J.L., Moore,
G.E., Painter, P.L., & S.O. Roberts, ACSMs Exercise Management for Persons with Chronic
Diseases and Disabilities. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL.
2) Selected You Tube Videos
3) Selected presentations from Dr. Mark P. Kelly
Grading
Grades will be on a straight scale, with the final point assignment being at the discretion of the instructor.
Extra credit will be assigned throughout the semester at the instructor’s discretion and will not be accepted
late and it is not necessarily going to be presented on blackboard or available early.

4 Unit Tests @ 15% for a total = 60%

4 Case Studies with SOAP notes and training design @ 5% =20%

Final Project written portion worth 15%, Oral portion worth- 5% = 20%

Pop quizes= Extra Credit 10%
Final Grades
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

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A= 90% and above
B= 89.9%- 80.0%
C= 79.9%- 70.0%
D= 69.9%- 60.0%
F- 59.9% and below
Unit Tests
There will be four Units Tests which will cover the contents from that unit only. Thus there are 7, 5, 5, and 6
lectures that will be covered in units 1, 2, 3, 4, respectively. Multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank with an
answer, and true/false type questions will be asked on a Scantron based test. For each test, you will need to
bring in a standard scantron form that SAC sells in the book store. Tests can be made up on the following
class with advanced warning only. Anticipated tests dates will be:
Test 1- 3/11
Test 3- 4/29
Test 2- 4/1
Test 4- 5/27
Unit 1- focus on Exercise is Medicine, testing and evaluation, and metabolic, cardiac, vascular, and
respiratory (PP-1)
Unit 2- Orthopedic/neurologic, immunological, and hematological issues (PP-2)
Unit 3- Life Stages, healthy aging- (PP-3)
Unit 4- Specific issues- Sensory, mental and neurologic disorders (PP-4 + Final Projects
Practical Projects
The Practical Projects will be worth 5% each and topics and dates due include:
1. Analyze and present case study on topic in Unit 1- due- 3/9.
2. Analyze and present case study on topic in Unit 2- due-3/30
3. Analyze and present case study on topic in Unit 3- due-4/27
4. Analyze and present case study on topic in Unit 4- due-5/20
For each of the 4 practical projects I will be looking for the following:
a) Major physiological principles involved with each disease or disability.
b) How exercise may help benefit this condition
c) A clean, well-organized training program with FITT, and proper progressions plugged in
It should include a Title page with all the correct elements and it typed with proper format including
i.
Page number in upper right hand corner
ii.
Running head
iii.
Sub-sections with labels
iv.
Tables with headings and category labels
v.
Graphical presentations (when needed) correctly labeled
Individual Written Project- 20% Both Written and Oral (Grade is combined efforts)
A major research paper which is composed of four main parts
1.
2.
3.
4.
Discuss the prevalence or origin of the disorder or stage
Discuss the physiology of the disease or life stage or disability.
Discuss what exercise can do to help or alleviate the condition
Design an exercise program for the individual with this condition and progression.
Oral presentation

Presentations should have the 3 Cs- Content, Clarity in Communication, Cohesiveness

Presentations should have Professionality- in appearance and Audience Engagement
Late assignments
All practical projects should be submitted to Blackboard on the date due. If the assignment is late points will
be deducted as follows- PPs- 1 pt (20%) off per day up to 3 days. The final project should be handed in on
6/1 regardless of when the oral presentation is being given. Leaving class to print it equals an absence.
Attendance and Pop Quizzes
Since regular attendance and being in class on time is expected and critical for your optimal performance in
the course- you will be given extra credit pop quizes worth 2% of your grade 5 times throughout the
semester. These will be given randomly and can’t be made up. You must be present and on time to take it.
In addition, if you are more than 5 minutes late it is like being ½ absent. 2 Lates= 1 absence > 5 = no EC
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Your success in this course is important to me. Santa Ana College and I are
committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability that may
have some impact on your ability to do well in this course, I encourage you to speak with me as soon as
possible. Also, please contact Disabled Student Programs & Services so that we can all collaborate on your
classroom accommodations in a timely manner. DSP&S is located in U-103 and their phone number is 714-5646264. The DSP&S office requires documentation of your disability in order to receive reasonable accommodations. If
you do not have documentation they will work with you to acquire it. I look forward to supporting you to meet your
learning goals.
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY: Students at Santa Ana College are expected to be honest and forthright in their
academic endeavors. To falsify the results of one’s research, to steal the words or ideas of another, or to cheat on an
examination, corrupts the essential process by which knowledge is advanced. Academic dishonesty is seen as an
intentional act of fraud, in which a student seeks to claim credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization,
or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated information in any academic exercise. As institutions, we also consider
academic dishonesty to include forgery of academic documents, intentionally impeding or damaging the academic work
of others, assisting other students in acts of dishonesty or coercing students into acts of dishonesty.
Course Outline and Schedule
Wk Date Topic
1
2/9
Introduction
2/11 Exercise is Medicine- EBG, Problem-Based Orientation
2
2/16 PRESIDENT’S DAY- OFF
2/18 Exercise Testing and Program Structuring- DEMO
3
2/23 Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome
2/25 Diabetes/Insulin Resistance/Glycemic Index
4
3/2
Hypelipidemia/Hypertension
3/4
CHD- CAD, PAD, MIs, CHF- Understanding ECG/Stress
test
5
3/9
Pulmonary Disease- COPD/CRPD/Cystic Fibrosis/Asthma
3/11 Unit Test #1
6
3/16 Orthopedic Immuno/Hematologic issues- overview/ PNI
3/18 Stroke/ Clotting disorders/ Anemia
7
3/23 Arthritis/ Fibromyalgia/ Osteoporosis
3/25 Lower Back Pain/ Spinal Cord injury
8
3/30 AIDS/ Cancer/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
4/1
Unit 2 Test
SPRING BREAK
9
4/13 Life Stages- Functional & sociological differences
4/15 Healthy Aging/ Menopause, Andropause etc
10 4/20 Child/ Teen- ADD, ADHD
4/22 Boomers/ Elderly
11 4/27 Pregnancy/ Post-partum,
4/29 Unit 3 Test
12 5/4
Specific issues- sensory, mental disorders, neurologic
5/6
Intellectual Disabilities- Dementia- Alzheimer’s disease
13 5/11 Stress disorders- Anxiety, Depression, PTSD
5/13 Multiple Sclerosis, Polio, ALS
14 5/18 Muscular Dystrophy, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy
5/20 Visual and auditory disorders
15 5/25 MEMORIAL DAY- OFF
5/27 Unit 4 Test
16 6/1
Orals
6/3
Orals
Reading
Intro
Project Due
PP-1
Dr. Sos?
PP-2
Ch 17
Ch 18
PP-3
PP-4
Final Proj- due
Oral/paper