The
health & fitness assessments offered through the HPL can assist individuals
reach their athletic potential or understand their risk of developing chronic
medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and
diabetes. Many such conditions can be more effectively prevented, managed
or even reversed with detailed physical assessments and appropriate pre-emptive
actions. Through detailed assessments and direction, HPL staff can provide
individuals with a path toward optimum health and aging.
Mission
To
assess, evaluate, and disseminate knowledge of human performance as it relates
to health, wellness, physical fitness, and athletic ability through education,
research, and service.
Vision
The
HPL is a teaching laboratory that provides assessments of health and physical
fitness to the faculty, staff, and students of Saint Francis University and
residents of the surrounding communities through proficient skills attained by
Professionally Certified Exercise Physiology Faculty and undergraduate Exercise
Physiology students.
Facilities/Equipment
We
offer access to equipment & technology not found at any other location in
this region, including:
- A BOD POD,
an egg-shaped module used by hospitals and research centers world-wide to
measure total body fat and lean body mass, and estimate resting energy
expenditure.
- A
Cardiovascular-Metabolic system that can analyze the exercise capacity,
energy expenditure, and risk of developing chronic disease for any
individual.
- An
Anaerobic Testing Cycle Ergometer that is capable of testing your
sprinting ability, your fatigue resistance, and estimates your muscle
fiber type distribution.
- A Biodex
Isokinetic Dynamometer that evaluates specific deficiencies in strength in
all the major muscle groups of the body, comparing one side to the other
through varying speeds of resistance.
- A Motion
Analysis system that provides a detailed evaluation of human movement by
showing how each joint moves, the timing and coordination of your muscles,
and the forces that affect movement.
- A NeuroCom
Dynamic Posturography unit that analyzes the reasons for a balance problem
and provides useful information in diagnosing the reasons for lack of
balance or a tendency to fall. This equipment is commonly used for
assessing concussions and return-to-play status in athletes or fall risk
in the elderly.