FRIDAY, 03 MAY – The Gym Instructor Level 1 course was successfully conducted at the School of Education and Social Development (SPPS) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) recently with the involvement of 50 Sport Science Programme students. The course was led by Fiji Low Wei Hoong, a certified instructor from the Ace American Council on Exercise, and aided by his assistants Mohammad Faizah Apdal and Mohd Fakhri Omar.

According to Low, this course was not only meant to be as a facilitator in a gym but also as an advisor to gym equipment use, physical alertness and to be fit. He said this in his talk during the course to the participants.

Meanwhile, the Head Project, Dr. Mohamad Nizam Nazarudin said that the idea of organising this course came about when a study had found that there was a high demand for personal instructor services and the mushrooming of fitness centres. As such, he said the course TC30003 under Pathmanathan K. Suppiah was seen as giving opportunities to Sport Science students to be familiar with the proper handling of gym equipment and able to apply their knowledge gained through all sports fields.

“I hope that this gym instructor course will have a continuation so as to improve the individual’s skills especially Sport Science students who will be coaches after they graduate,” he added.

In the meantime, an international student from Brunei, Hj. Yaardy Hj. Karim said that he had benefitted from the course and described the skill to manage a gym as an added value to the learning of Sports Science in UMS. He said, managing a gym properly would indirectly help to avoid and lessen injuries to the body system.

“Apart from that theory, this course also included practical module and written test. In fact, participants were also brought into a gym to have hands on experience with the machines and gym equipment besides conducting practical session based on the rules and protocol of this course in gym practices,” he added.

The course ended with a presentation of gifts to all gym coaches by Dr. Mohamad Nizam Nazarudin. – FL

Source: Sports Science, SPPS

                                                                                                                       Information and Media Section, Corporate Relations Division