The Department of Sports, Health, and Rehabilitation at Kookmin University’s College of Physical Education (President Jeong Seung Ryul) participated in the “Sangwol-gok Senior Fitness Challenge” held at Wolgok Middle School on October 3, where they assessed the physical fitness and motor functions of local seniors and provided guidance on health management.
 
Organized and hosted by the Sangwol-gok Welfare Center, this event was designed to help local seniors assess their physical function and fitness levels and to raise their interest in healthy physical activity. In response to a request for cooperation from the Welfare Center, Kookmin University’s College of Physical Education, led by Dean Lee Dae-taek, collaborated on this community health promotion initiative.

△ Photo: Students from the Department of Sports, Health, and Rehabilitation and staff from the Sangwolgok Welfare Center participating in the Sangwolgok Senior Fitness Challenge

On that day, Professor Chun JiHyun from the Department of Sports, Health, and Rehabilitation at Kookmin University and 25 students participated in the event, assessing various physical functions of the seniors, including coordination, balance, and flexibility. The students conducted each assessment using the physical fitness and functional evaluation methods they had learned in their department, and they also provided guidance and supported the event’s operations to ensure the seniors could participate safely.
 
After the measurements, the students reviewed the results to identify which physical functions were relatively strong and which needed improvement for each senior. They also explained, in terms the seniors could easily understand, the physical activities and movements they should focus on for a healthy lifestyle, helping them apply the measurement results to their actual health management.
 
This activity also served as an educational opportunity for students to apply their major-specific knowledge in a real-world community setting. They gained hands-on experience applying the physical function assessment methods they had learned through lectures and practical training, as well as interpreting the results and explaining them to participants. In particular, by interacting with seniors with varying levels of physical function, they were able to enhance their on-site response skills and communication abilities.
 
Kookmin University’s Department of Sports, Health, and Rehabilitation also ran an “Exercise Rehabilitation Camp for Seniors with Knee Osteoarthritis” for local seniors last semester. At that time as well, students participated in physical function assessments and the operation of exercise rehabilitation programs, engaging in volunteer activities that utilized their major-specific expertise to benefit the local community.
 
This “Sangwolgok Senior Fitness Challenge” is also significant as an extension of these activities, linking the university’s education with community health promotion. It was organized as a collaborative initiative that shares expertise in the field of Sports Health and Rehabilitation with the local community while providing students with hands-on educational experiences.
 
Professor Lee Miyoung, Chair of the Department of Sports and Health Rehabilitation, stated, “The experience of applying the specialized knowledge students have learned at the university to real-world settings and communicating with the local community is a crucial part of the educational curriculum for developing their professional competencies.” She added, “We will continue to expand field-based educational opportunities so that students can learn and grow together with the local community based on their professional expertise.”
 
Lee Dae Taek, Dean of the College of Physical Education, remarked, “This collaboration is highly significant because the university’s expertise and the students’ professional competencies can contribute to promoting the health of senior citizens in the local community.” He added, “We will continue to share the educational and research expertise of Kookmin University’s College of Physical Education with the local community and expand opportunities for students to put their academic knowledge into practice to create social value.”
 
The Department of Sports, Health, and Rehabilitation at Kookmin University plans to continue strengthening students’ field-based education through collaboration with local community organizations and to carry out community outreach activities that leverage its expertise in sports, health, and exercise rehabilitation.

△ Photo: Students from the Department of Sports, Health, and Rehabilitation participating in the Sangwolgok Senior Fitness Challenge