ANTH 5451 - Human Physical Activity

Institution:

University of Utah

Subject:

Anthropology

Description:

Humans engage in a marvelous diversity of physical activities, from running marathons, to ballet dancing, to fingerpicking guitars. Such activities are not only beautiful, but also characterize who we are as a species. Today, human physical activity is also among the strongest determinants of our health and longevity. The course considers the evolutionary factors underlying how and why humans use our bodies the ways we do, and why differences between past and present human physical activity patterns may be causing our bodies to malfunction and suffer from illnesses that our ancestors managed to avoid. The course draws from a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including paleoanthropology, behavioral ecology, comparative biology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and medicine to address critical questions such as: ' If exercise is so good for you, why do so many people dislike or avoid it? ' Is it bad to slouch? Are humans comparatively slow and weak? ' Is exercise ineffective for losing weight? ' Does running ruin your knees? ' How much does exercise affect our vulnerability to cancer or infectious disease?

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.utah.edu

Phone Number:

(801) 581-7200

Regional Accreditation:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Calendar System:

Semester

The Course Profile information is provided and updated by third parties including the respective institutions. While the institutions are able to update their information at any time, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.