Developing a faculty fitness training program for community college nurse educators 1: “A pilot project”

This pilot project examined a faculty fitness training program executed over a spring and summer session. It was supported by a $5,000.00 grant from the City University of New York, Office of Academic Affairs (2010–11). The program was offered to a small number of nursing faculty on a volunteer basis. The goal was to introduce and demonstrate the science behind exercise and cardiovascular fitness testing, while providing a comprehensive cardiovascular health assessment. Second, all participants underwent exercise training to demonstrate physiologic improvements in their fitness. The assessment included a maximal exercise tolerance test (ETT) with a follow-up post-ETT allowing faculty to witness progress of their cardiovascular fitness first hand. As a result, participants will be better able to relay this information and employ firsthand experiences regarding the use of exercise for health promotion and disease prevention to future students by incorporating pertinent content into their coursework.