From reps to strides

May 15, 2024

This article was originally published on SiouxFalls.Business on May 14, 2024.

Dakota State University’s exercise science program goes beyond the sweat, teaching students about the human body, physical activity, health, nutrition, research and exercise prescription for athletes and the general population.

Exercise science is the broader, less technical term for kinesiology, explained Dr. Luke Chowning, assistant professor of exercise science. It focuses on the physiological side of things, nutrition and how to optimize performance.

“When we think of exercise, we tend to think of training for something, but it’s actually about human performance in general,” he added.

Students study exercise science through a variety of courses, from human anatomy and biology to more advanced courses like stress management, clinical exercise physiology and biomechanics. Many occupational roles such as nutritionists, physical and occupational therapists, personal trainers, coaches and professional athletes have backgrounds in exercise science.

Chowning earned his Ph.D. in exercise physiology and has a biomechanics and research background with a subspecialization in biostatistics, making him well-versed in both biomechanics and exercise physiology. This is unique in the exercise science industry because few people have such extensive knowledge and training in both areas.

Exercise physiology focuses on performance as it relates to fitness goals, training athletes and health maintenance, while biomechanics focuses more broadly on movement. Chowning incorporates both into the classroom.

Students appreciate his hands-on supportive approach to teaching. In class, he often will have students demonstrate movements, identify anatomical positions and planes of movement.

“Real-life examples make complex topics easier to understand,” said Ben Witt, a sophomore exercise science and biology double major and basketball and track athlete.

Witt, from Burke in south-central South Dakota, became interested in exercise science after a high school knee injury resulted in two surgeries and a 10-month recovery process.

“I spent a lot of time with my physical therapist,” he said. “And it ended up being something I wanted to do.”

As an athlete, Witt has been able to implement some of what he has learned in the program in his own training. After eating a big meal, for example, the blood flow in the body is focused on digesting food, which makes it harder to exercise within 10 minutes to an hour after eating. He explained that one way he has learned to combat this during busy days is to complete slower movements like stretching and walking around to get the blood moving throughout the body.

Hattie Breck, a senior exercise science major and volleyball athlete from Lennox, also has applied lessons she learned in the classroom to her routine as an athlete.

She has learned the science behind and importance of stretching and warming up before workouts and competitions, fueling her body with the right food after workouts and increasing the amount and quality of the protein she consumes.

“I don’t hit that tired wall anymore,” she said. “I know when I should be working out, and I know how to feed my body.”

While she initially struggled in the program, once Chowning joined the faculty, everything turned around.

“I actually started to learn, and I felt like I belonged here,” she said.

Breck regularly visited Chowning during office hours to get extra help, ensure she understood assignments and ask for occasional advice about her work as a personal trainer at the Community Center.

She enjoys working with clients and teaching them about exercise science. “It helps me learn how to explain things to people because I know I’ll be doing that a lot in the field.”

In August, Breck will begin schooling at Lake Area Technical College to become a physical therapy assistant. She chose this career path after shadowing a physical therapist and physical therapist assistant for practicum hours at DSU.

Her advice to other students is to stay engaged. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and go in for extra help,” she said. “I know when I was younger, I always felt like asking for extra help made you smaller, but if I wouldn’t have asked for extra help, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”

Chowning’s expertise and the programming at DSU also will prepare students for graduate school. Students learn to assess physical injuries and develop rehab plans, optimize performance through training exercises with athletes and manage corporate wellness programs.