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Physical Health: Occupational Health and Psychologists in Action

Discover how work impacts individuals’ physical health and consider ways to manage physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours.

  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    10 hours

Understand the importance of a healthy mind to a healthy body

Individuals’ physical health in the workplace is under increased scrutiny, especially when considering the often sedentary nature of office jobs. In this course, we will discuss how the modern workplace can have an impact on individuals’ physical conditions.

We will discuss the benefits of promoting physical exercise and spirituality at work, as well as the challenges when implementing these activities. The current processes and procedures to manage employee wellbeing-related issues will also be considered.

What topics will you cover?

  • What does physical health/wellbeing involve?
  • What is physical activity and what are sedentary behaviours?
  • Theories linked to physical activity: theory of reasoned action (Ajzen and Fishbein 1980) and planned behaviour (Ajzen 1985), as well as self-efficacy
  • The benefits, both on an organisational and employee wellbeing level, of promoting physical activity and decreasing sedentary behaviours at work
  • Problems with implementing physical activity
  • Spirituality and well-being: practicing spirituality at work
  • Gamification and physical activity
  • Strategies which organisations adopt for managing wellbeing-related issues

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Evaluate current theory and research of organisational/business psychology in relation to physical health and wellbeing at work
  • Explore the difference between physical activity and sedentary behaviours at work, and their distinct impact on the individual
  • Compare knowledge of the benefits, both on an organisational and employee well-being level, of promoting physical exercise and spirituality at work
  • Develop the skills to identify and critically evaluate problems with implementing physical activity and spirituality interventions at work
  • Evaluate current processes and procedures in place within organisations to manage employee wellbeing-related issues, in accordance with current business psychological research and theory

Who is the course for?

This course is aimed at students who wish to know how to manage physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours.

Who developed the course?

Coventry University

Coventry secured 5 QS Stars for Teaching and Online Learning in the QS World University Ranking 2020 and has received No. 1 in the world for Massive Open Online Courses in MoocLab’s World University Ranking 2021.

  • Established

    1992
  • Location

    Coventry

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control

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