St. Olaf kinesiology professor shares exercise expertise on MPR
A St. Olaf College professor with expertise in kinesiology, health and human performance, and healthy aging was featured on a Minnesota Public Radio program on the benefits of movement and physical activity.
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Jennifer Holbein was an in-studio guest on MPR News with Angela Davis for an hour-long segment that delved into the science of exercise and the practical steps people can take to bring more movement into their daily lives.
At St. Olaf, Holbein leads students in hands-on research in the Skoglund Human Performance Laboratory, from studying how older adults can build strength and balance to assessing how musicians and dancers can avoid injury. She’s also directed academic civic engagement courses, including one in which students worked with a Northfield elementary school to teach children about healthy eating.
On MPR, Holbein told host Angela Davis that people of all ages can reap wide-ranging benefits from incorporating movement — from strength training to short walks — into their routines.
“The benefits we receive while we are working out, while we are doing strength training — we will still see that at any age, and any background,” she said.
Holbein noted that maintaining motivation to work out can be tough in places like Minnesota as winter approaches and temperatures drop. She told Davis that’s why people should look for kinds of movement and activity that they enjoy, whether that’s because it comes with good music, a friendly community in an exercise class, or the end result of feeling stronger.
“It’s important to find something that’s motivating for you and something you can keep throughout the whole year,” she said.