Helen Collins (University of Dundee): The benefits of resistance training for children.

Helen Collins is a Sport & Exercise Scientist at the Institute of Sport and Exercise, University of Dundee.  She is currently undertaking a PhD through the University of Edinburgh, investigating resistance training as a strategy to encourage less active and/or overweight children to become more active and healthier.  During her 17 years at the University of Dundee she has lectured extensively on the University’s Sports Biomedicine degree, and more recently has become module co-ordinator for a student selected module on Exercise Deficit Disorder within the Medical Curriculum. As a BASES Accredited Sport & Exercise Scientist (physiology) and a UKSCA Accredited S&C Coach, she has delivered applied sports science in performance sport for a variety of sports and athletes. In more recent years, Helen’s interest and work programme has though re-focussed on health, specifically on the benefits of resistance training and this has led her to her current research topic.

In this episode Helen discusses:

• How Avery Faigenbaum was key influence in her moving from performance sport to health.

• The incredible retention rate of her afterschool S&C program for inactive/overweight children.

• How the feeling of success and growing confidence drives participation in her group of children.

• Her PhD research on the benefits of resistance training on psychology, movement skills and body fat in children.

• The powerful feedback from both children and parents that reinforce the benefits of resistance training in children.

You can keep up to date with Helen via her ResearchGate profile , or via Twitter @helen_collins1 .

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