Wellness as a field of study at Palestra

according to the Rector Emeritus of VŠTVS PALESTRA prof. PhDr. Václava Hoška, DrSc.

 

In recent decades, wellness has crystallized somewhat chaotically as a rapidly developing area of ​​services for an increasingly prosperous and civilized population. Attractiveness lies in the offers of a higher quality of life and in connection with the stabilization of good health. Due to the fact that it is a promising area of ​​services, and that it is also socially beneficial to refine people’s knowledge in this important area and overcome the emerging primitive simplification, Palestra offers comprehensive education in this important area for individuals and society.

College of Physical Education and Sport Palestra (hereinafter referred to as Palestra) conceives the study of wellness as a tool that brings students closer and shows all aspects of so-called well-being. As early as 1948, well-being was described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a term defining human health and a healthy attitude to life. The Czech significance can be understood as a person’s personal well-being in the physical, mental and social level and contributes to the overall quality of life and vital satisfaction. It is necessary to state that well-being is completely individual for each of us and it is impossible to determine the optimal general value. How to look at personal differences due to the biological and cultural evolution of a man is wellness the subject of study at Palestra.

A basic insight into this area of improving the quality of life is the subject of a Bachelor’s degree. Master’s students build on these foundations and focus more on individual differences and the expanding aspect of usability in each person’s life as a tool for quality of life. The effort to change the approach to life and a healthier lifestyle is blended into all areas of physical education and sport as well as Kinantropologie. However, the Wellness field offers a more holistic view and study of new paths to a happy life.

In the 60 years of its existence, wellness has developed and resulted in several types (areas) of wellness, which intertwine in their focus on the common goal, which is the already mentioned healthy lifestyle representing a healthy and balanced individual.

The main area is exercise wellness, which promotes the need to keep the individual in shape through movement and exercise elements that increase the adaptability and at the same time correspond to the principles of posture and movement, determined by human phylogeny. Other areas are, for example, medical wellness, which is defined in balneology and dietetics, environmental wellness (also called nature wellness) determined by positive environmental influences in the bio-psycho-climatological sense, beauty wellness aims at aesthetic precision of a person by cosmetic, medical and modification approaches and others.

Based on its focus and tradition, Palestra is primarily committed to exercise wellness, which in percentage terms represents approximately 60% of the study’s focus. A significant part consists of knowledge from the field of medical wellness (20%), which in many respects has the nature of basic knowledge. Due to the denaturing trends of civilization, the school considers it necessary to address the issues of environmental wellness (20%), as sports and living in nature is desirable to more intensively integrate into the lifestyle of a modern man.

 

Competence of Palestra graduates of the Wellness program

Gaining basic knowledge about the area, aspects and advantages of wellness. Ability to design and implement research activities focused on humans as part of a post-industrial society of the Western type. Ability to synthesize scientific knowledge in the field of biology, philosophy and social sciences, which focuses on a man, as an individual who is a product of biological and cultural evolution.

Ability to assess the conditions for the implementation of wellness services in a selected region, micro region, city, municipality or facility. Analyse and recommend suitable interior and equipment. Develop a concept of wellness services, including economic and personnel perspectives. Prepare a specific wellness program with regard to age, gender, health status and other specific needs and requirements of clients, both for individuals or specific groups.

Ability to develop a proposal for the promotion of a region or facility with an emphasis on the need to keep individuals in shape through movement and exercise that increase a person’s adaptive capacity; and with a target to a healthier population in the region.

The knowledge and skills acquired during the study can be well used in personal life and are a starting point for an interesting professional career.