Studying a sport and exercise degree teaches you more skills than you realise. In the video below #TeamOUsport academic Simon Rea explores the transferable skills students develop, including critical thinking, communication, problem solving and adaptability – skills that can strengthen employability for careers both within and beyond sport.
Simon has also written the article below looking at careers in sport and exercise.
In this video OU graduate Allana Francis-Ashmeil shares how studying sport and exercise helped her to develop her skills as a sports coach.
For more from Allana, check out these previous posts:
In this video OU Sport and Exercise student Ralph explains why an OU degree was right for him and allowed him to continue working full time.
To find out more about study Sport and Exercise at the OU visit our ‘Study with us‘ page.
Ralph also shares what a typical day looks like for him as a Sport and Exercise student in the video below.
By Simon Rea
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Careers in sport and exercise offer a wide range of varied and exciting opportunities.
If I look back at my career, I have been at various times a lifeguard, a leisure assistant, a fitness instructor, a gym manager, a teacher in further education, a self-employed personal trainer operating in people’s homes, a performance coach to Oxford University sports teams, a senior lecturer in sport and exercise, an examiner, and an author of textbooks.
At one point, when I was self-employed, I had six different job roles. So, I can attest that the sport and exercise sector offers both variety and opportunities for progression.
While I could have done some of these jobs without a degree, I would have hit a ceiling within two years. A degree was vital for progressing into more stimulating and senior roles.
There are several ways to access careers in sport and exercise, so is doing a degree the best option?
You could become a fitness instructor by completing a two-week Level 2 course, or a sports coach by completing a short governing body coaching award. However, these short courses are designed as an access point. They equip you with specific skills for a role rather than enabling a long and fulfilling career.
A short course may show you ‘how’ to do something, but it is unlikely to help you understand ‘why’ you do it—an essential foundation for long-term development and progression.
A degree enables you to fully understand the science behind a practice and assess its value.
David Pears, a football coach and senior lecturer in sports coaching, explains the value of a degree in sport and exercise:
“A good degree will ensure that your eyes are opened to the opportunities available and, because you have a greater depth of knowledge, you will be confident to move into other roles. Graduates can be more independent and look around for new things to get involved in. Degree level study can broaden your horizons, give you opportunities to network and get involved in things.”
Lauren Rose, a tennis coach who studied with The Open University, describes the impact of her degree:
“Completing a degree has had a huge impact on my coaching career and made me a better coach. It enhanced my knowledge of psychology, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and biomechanics. Studying sport psychology helped me give players more autonomy, and this has had a big impact on their willingness to train hard, but most importantly allowed them to feel more in control during match play. Studying for the degree also helped to increase key skills such as my resilience, perseverance and time management.”
Some students begin their degree with a clear career goal, which can be motivating. However, this is not essential. Keeping an open mind allows you to take advantage of opportunities as they arise – work hard and you never know where you might end up!
Image by Christoph Meinersmann from Pixabay
There are more than 50 potential roles within sport and exercise that could suit graduates in sport and exercise. These include careers in:
Below are four examples of job roles in sport and exercise held by graduates from a range of universities.
Strength and conditioning coach – at Brighton & Hove Albion FC
Name: Will Abbott
Education: BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science
A strength and conditioning coach designs and delivers training programmes to improve athletic performance. This involves understanding the movement demands and physical requirements of a sport and helping athletes improve performance while reducing injury risk.———
Cardiac rehabilitation coach
Name: Josh Pusey
Education: BSc (Hons) Sports Science
A cardiac rehabilitation coach supports individuals who are either waiting for cardiac survey or are recovering from a heart attack. This includes designing and delivering exercise programmes and providing guidance on fitness and nutrition.———
Sport development and physical activity manager
Name: Vicky Galvin
Education: BSc (Hons) Sport, Fitness and Dance
This role involves overseeing sport and physical activity provision in a local area. Responsibilities include developing strategy, working with local authorities and health partners, and aligning with national bodies such as Sport England and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).———
Performance analyst
Name: Chris Barry
Education: BSc (Hons) Physiology and Sports Science
A performance analyst uses data and video analysis to support athletes and coaches. This includes analysing performance, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and helping teams prepare for competition.
An undergraduate degree in sport, exercise or coaching can provide access to a wide range of careers in the sector. It can open the door to exciting opportunities, but further experience, professional accreditations and postgraduate study may be required for some roles.
The Open University offers two degree programmes in sport and exercise:
Both qualifications develop knowledge of key sport science concepts, practical, applied skills, transferable skills relevant across the sport and exercise sector.
Rea, S. (2019) Careers in Sports Science, Oxford, Adored Publishing.
By Jess Pinchbeck and Caroline Heaney
Image by Laura Rincón on Pexels
The design and fit of women’s sports kit is increasingly recognised as a key factor in female sports participation and performance. While kit may seem trivial, evidence suggests that sportswear plays an active role in shaping athletes’ experiences, influencing comfort, safety, performance and empowerment of participants during sports performance.
Many women are still expected to wear sports kit that fits poorly, is impractical in colour, or unnecessarily sexualises their bodies.
These factors can discourage participation and affect performance at every level – from recreational sport to elite competition. This makes women’s sports kit a critical issue for those working with female participants, such as coaches, PE teachers and sport and exercise scientists.
In many sports, particularly those traditionally considered ‘male’, women’s kit is created using a ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach. This means designs are based on standard male proportions and scaled down.
This reflects a wider research gap. Data shows that only around 6% of sports science research has focused exclusively on female athletes. This had led to women typically following training regimes and wearing footwear and clothing that has been designed based on research with male athletes.
As a result, women often have to adapt poorly fitting kit themselves. For example, footballers rolling waistbands for a better fit and women in martial arts altering uniforms to improve .
Improving female-focused sport and exercise science research is essential to designing kit that genuinely supports women’s bodies and performance.
Image by H. B. from Pixabay
At the other end of the spectrum, sportswear designed specifically for women is often created to accentuate the female form. This contributes to the sexualisation of female athletes, with kit frequently designed to appeal to the male gaze. Compared to men’s sportswear, women’s kit is often more revealing, tighter fitting and less practical for movement and comfort.
Research suggests that tight, revealing clothing can reduce comfort and negatively affect performance. In recent years, many athletes are challenging these norms:
These actions highlight a growing movement to prioritise functionality, comfort and athlete autonomy over outdated expectations. Elite athletes are leading the way to drive change and stimulate discussion to alter the discourse around female athletes.
Sports kit colour, particularly white, is a major issue for many female athletes.
Research shows that wearing white kit can cause anxiety during menstruation due to concerns about the visibility of period blood – in sports such as rugby, tennis, and soccer. This is linked to wider societal pressures to conceal menstruation.
As a result, several high-profile changes have taken place, such as:
Feminist acts such as these to resist uniform traditions can stimulate positive change, empower and develop agency amongst female athletes. All of which are important in the psychology of sport performance, influencing confidence and concentration, and facilitating the attainment of optimal performance.
Sportswear doesn’t just affect performance – it can both challenge and reinforce traditional gender roles. Design choices reflecting societies’ ideas of what is ‘feminine’ can shape how women are viewed in the sporting environment and how female athletes are discussed and valued.
For example, in 2011 the Amateur International Boxing Association suggested skirts could make female boxers appear more ‘elegant’ and help distinguish them from their male counterparts. Two national teams (Poland and Romania) briefly mandated this approach, with the Polish coach Leszek Piotrowski stating “By wearing skirts, in my opinion, it gives a good impression, a womanly impression. Wearing shorts is not a good way for women boxers to dress”. However, this proposed skirt uniform was widely contested and refuted by the majority.
There is growing recognition that sports kit should be designed around function, inclusion and athlete experience – not outdated stereotypes.
To improve women’s sport experiences, sports kit should be designed for the female body for practical and performance reasons, not to confirm to societies’ acceptance and without sexualising the athlete.
Key considerations include:
Positive changes are already emerging. Both England Netball and Netball Australia have broadened uniform options in response to players’ calls for choice and inclusivity. Players can now wear combinations such as shirts, bodysuits, shorts, long pants and more.
These developments support body confidence, inclusion and performance optimisation.
The design of sports kit can either facilitate or hinder women’s participation and performance in sports.
To drive meaningful change, the sport and exercise sector must:
By raising awareness of the intricacies of this through research and teaching it is possible to improve the knowledge of those working with girls and women to support choice and empowerment when it comes to sportswear design. Working together, those within the sport and exercise field can promote a more inclusive and empowering sport environment for female athletes.
Studying sport and exercise can help you understand how factors like sports kit influence performance, identity and participation.
At The Open University, you can explore these topics through flexible, research-led study designed to reflect real-world challenges in sport today.
By Caroline Heaney
Image by Christo Anestev from Pixabay
Modern day life places challenges on our mental health whether it be pressures from social media, balancing work/study/home life, financial pressures, or processing the state of the world currently.
An NHS Survey (2025) found that the prevalence of mental health conditions is at an all-time high in the UK. For example, 20.2% of adults in England were reported to be living with a common mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety in 2023/4, compared to 15.5% in 1993 and 18.9% in 2014. Young people appear to be at significant risk with the survey indicating that the prevalence has risen from 17.5% in 2007 to 25.8% in 2023/4 amongst those aged 16–24 years.
This means more people are actively looking for ways to support their mental health, including through movement and exercise.
This rise in mental health problems places a significant strain on mental health support services.
The cost of mental ill health in the UK is estimated at £300 billion per year, and long waiting lists for support services can mean people don’t always get help quickly, often leading to further deterioration (The Big Mental Health Report 2025).
There are various treatment options available including talking therapies and medication, but medication is reported to be the most common treatment for mental health problems.
Exercise has been suggested as an alternative or additional treatment for those with mental health problems, but does it actually work?
The short answer is yes.
Exercise can be used both in the prevention and treatment of mental health problems. Regular physical activity can play a key role in both preventing and managing conditions such as anxiety and depression.
In their review of existing research Rahmati et al. (2024) found that people who were physically active had a significantly lower risk of developing depression and anxiety. Similarly, exercise can help people who already have mental health conditions to manage or reduce their symptoms. In their review of existing research Noetel et al. (2024) concluded that exercise was an effective treatment for depression.
Photo by Sweet Life on Unsplash
Depending on the severity of symptoms, exercise can be used on its own or alongside other treatments as part of a broader plan, under the guidance of a mental health professional.
Despite its benefits, exercise is still a relatively underused form of treatment for mental health conditions, although there are several GP referral and social prescribing programmes in existence that successfully support people through exercise.
Given the benefits to mental health, some people have questioned whether failing to prescribe exercise is unethical. Prescribing exercise seems like a sensible idea especially considering that it has multiple other health benefits (e.g., reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, etc).
There are several potential explanations for the link between exercise and mental health, including:
While exercise generally has a positive impact on mental health, there are times when it can have a negative impact.
A key example is exercise addiction (also known as exercise dependence), where someone feels a compulsive need to exercise, even when it leads to injury, illness or other negative life consequences (Hausenblas & Symons Downs, 2002). In these cases, the relationship with exercise becomes unhealthy, rather than positive.
There is some evidence to suggest that people with mental health conditions may be more vulnerable to developing exercise addiction. This is why building a healthy relationship with exercise is essential, including seeking advice from your GP or mental health professional when starting an exercise programme if you have a diagnosed mental health condition, and exercising under the guidance of a fitness professional.
A well-structured exercise programme that supports mental health will include rest and recovery, flexibility and realistic expectations. Failure to do this can lead to overtraining, burnout and addiction.
Whilst exercise can reduce stress, sport and mental health don’t always have a simple relationship. For some — particularly elite athletes — pressure and performance expectations can actually increase mental health challenges.
Some research suggests that rates of anxiety and depression may be higher in elite sport compared to the general population. Several high-profile athletes such as Simone Biles and Joe Marler have spoken publicly about their challenges.
Mental health challenges are particularly common when athletes retire, often due to a loss of identity, something that is discussed in this free Open University course The athlete’s journey: transitions through sport.
The links between sport, exercise and mental health are something you can study and apply professionally.
Studying a degree in sport and exercise helps you understand:
This knowledge can lead to a range of careers where you support others to improve their mental health, including:
These roles focus on helping people thrive – not just physically, but mentally and sustainably.
As a low-cost, accessible and effective tool, exercise plays a powerful role in supporting mental health. However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Knowing when exercise helps, and when it doesn’t, is key.
Supervised and well-balanced exercise programmes can maximise benefits while reducing risks such as burnout, overtraining and unhealthy relationships with exercise.
Studying sport and exercise, such as through courses at The Open University, can give you the knowledge and skills to apply this understanding responsibly and help others do the same.
By Kat Allott
I’m Kat, a lecturer in Sports Biomechanics within the Sport and Fitness team at The Open University, and I am also an internationally competitive Double Mini Trampoline (aka DMT) gymnast. It was trampolining that sparked my initial interest in biomechanics and how humans generate and control movement.
Trampolining was first introduced into the Olympic programme in Sydney, 2000, and with GB’s Bryony Page jumping to trampolining gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the sport’s profile has continued to rise in the UK. My passion, however, lies in DMT, a lesser-known trampoline discipline.
DMT is showcased at the World Games: an international multisport event often described as ‘the Olympics for non-Olympic sports’, where the top gymnasts in the world compete head-to-head for the World Games title. As well as exploring the sport of DMT, this blog focuses on what biomechanics is and how it can be used to understand technique, improve performance and reduce injury risk.
What is Double Mini Trampoline?
Although not part of the Olympics (yet!), DMT is a thrilling sport which involves sprinting down a 20 m runway and launching into powerful acrobatic skills… before landing as neatly as possible! As the name suggests, double mini trampolines are smaller than regular trampolines, but don’t be fooled: DMT favours gymnasts who can perform big, powerful skills. There are two points of contact with the DMT: an angled section and a flat section, where a gymnast links together two somersault skills before landing on a mat: the combined sequence of skills is called a ‘pass’. Here’s a video of me performing a pass at the 2025 British Championships:
How is a DMT pass scored?
Gymnasts are scored on three elements:
The DMT is just 92 cm wide, so accuracy in landing on the trampoline each time to perform the two skills is key to success. As gymnasts progress in the sport, they can learn to flip with multiple somersaults and twists. For coaches and gymnasts, a key focus is the take-off for each skill, as this essentially determines all three of the scoring elements. Applying biomechanics can support coaches in helping athletes to develop their proficiency in their take-offs and consequently their performance of somersault skills.
What is biomechanics and how can it benefit DMT performance?
Human biomechanics applies the laws of physics to understand how and why people move the way they do. Sports biomechanics is the study of athletic movements to identify how to optimise performance and reduce the risk of injury.
Typically, biomechanists break down movements into phases to understand how each part contributes to the overall performance. DMT can be split into the run up, take-off, flight phase, and landing. As previously mentioned, the take-off for each skill is important. This is because jumping as high as possible gives the gymnast more time to complete a skill before they have to land. To achieve a good take-off, a gymnast runs quickly before jumping onto the DMT, which helps them to push down hard into the trampoline bed (in biomechanics we call this an applied force). Applying more force into the trampoline bed depresses the springs further and causes them to recoil more and push the gymnast higher into the air (this is literally the trampoline effect!), which maximises their vertical velocity (how quickly they are moving upwards) and their ability to start somersaulting (in biomechanics we call this angular momentum). In short, the more force a gymnast can apply to the trampoline, the higher they can bounce and the faster they can spin.
Why is the take-off so important?
Once the take-off has been completed and the gymnast is in the air, their angular momentum cannot change because there are no external forces pushing on them. If a gymnast takes off for a somersault in a straight body position but doesn’t achieve enough height at the correct angle on take-off, they could under-rotate their somersault: this increases the risk of not landing the skill upright and on their feet. In this situation, there is an escape route to avoid crash landing, and some biomechanical principles can help the gymnast here! By bending at their hips and knees – i.e. curling up into a tuck shape, they can speed up their spin, allowing them to safely land on their feet. So, whilst their angular momentum cannot change in the air, they can manipulate their body shape to become smaller and speed up their rotation in the air (in biomechanics we call this component of angular momentum the moment of inertia, which is the amount of resistance to change in rotation).
Performing a skill in a tucked (compared to a piked or straight) position receives a lower difficulty score from the judges, but if the take-off is compromised, and the gymnast has a choice between landing on their face or their feet, a tucked position may be the safer option! Even though they may not necessarily understand the biomechanical principles behind why they do it, experienced gymnasts will tend to intuitively change their shape, demonstrating a real-world application of biomechanics to support performance. Of course, compromising the take-off is not the only reason for changing shape in the air: gymnasts choose to perform somersaults and twists in different shapes which makes for exciting and varied routines to watch!
Twisting and landing safely
Biomechanics can also unlock insight into how best to perform somersaults with twists. It is possible to generate twist from the trampoline bed, but this action is likely to cause the gymnast to travel sideways. Remember, the trampoline bed is only 92 cm wide so any sideways movement may result in injury (I speak from personal experience…). The main method of twisting during straight somersaults is to tilt the body by producing asymmetrical arm movements before bringing them in close to the body. The gymnast can then reverse the arm movement to stop their twist and prepare for a controlled landing. During piked and tucked somersaults, gymnasts can twist by moving their hips to one side as they extend their legs [1].
There are various measures to ensure the safety of gymnasts during training when learning these complex skills: this includes landing on mats of different thicknesses to absorb impact, performing skills into foam pits, or using a harness: the harness allows coaches to control the movement of the gymnast to ensure their safety. Strength and conditioning is also vital so gymnasts can cope with the repetitive forces they experience during training and competition: trampolining can involve accelerations of around 6 G. Compare that to the 5 G forces that F1 drivers can experience [2], and you can start to see why strength and conditioning is important!
Of course, mastering the take-off, performance, and landing of complex somersaulting skills takes years of practice. Biomechanists have many tools that can help with understanding the aspects of technique that will improve performance, as well as reduce the risk of injury. Even the DMT itself has biomechanics applied to its design and development to ensure the right balance of safety and performance.
Biomechanics can show how a seemingly easy performance may in fact be comprised of complex components of technique, helping us to appreciate just how impressive the performances of these skills are!
Feeling inspired?
Double Mini Trampoline is a captivating world of somersaults and twists that combines speed, power, and control, all of which are underpinned by biomechanical principles. A good understanding of biomechanics can allow coaches to help gymnasts maximise their performance and reduce injury risk by:
Feeling inspired to jump into the world of biomechanics? To find out more about biomechanics visit: https://www.cases.org.uk/spage-divisions-biomechanics_and_motor_behaviour.html and to find out more about getting involved in Double Mini Trampoline (participating clubs, available courses, and more) visit: https://www.british-gymnastics.org/.
References
[1] Yeadon, F. (2000). The physics of twisting somersaults. Physics World, 13, 33-37.
[2] G-Force and Formula One: Explained – Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team.
New #TeamOUstudent Ralph Slaney has recently featured on the @OpenUniversity TikTok account. Check out Ralph’s videos below.
In the first video we see Ralph’s journey to becoming an Open University student. In the second video Ralph shares some of his top tips for preparing for Open University study and in the third video he shares his advice on managing stress as a student.
@theopenuniversity Meet OU Student Ralph, who starts his Bsc Sport Fitness and Coaching this October! ⚽️#openuniversity #sportfitness #studyinspo
@theopenuniversity Preparing to start your first year with the OU can be so exciting! This is how @Ralph Slaney helped prepare for his!#studytips #onlinelearning #sportstudent #openuniversity
@theopenuniversity We appreciate that sometimes studying can feel like climbing a steep hill… don’t worry, there are ways of giving yourself a boost! This is how Ralph manages his stress during his OU degree! #sportsandfitness #wellbeing #OU #theopenuniversity
“I think that the opportunity to study for a degree and potentially begin a brand new career is something so profound”
In the video below disabled veteran Dan Richards shares how studying for a BSc (hons) in Sport, Fitness and Coaching at The Open University has given him an opportunity to improve his mental health and begin a new career.
“Being an OU graduate has changed my life significantly”
In the video below Paralympic champion and army veteran Gregg Stevenson shares his experience of studying for a BSc (hons) in Sport, Fitness and Coaching at The Open University.
“Winning the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games was a incredible feeling. It felt like such a celebration of all the hard work that’s gone into this journey – you know the sport psychology work, the sports coaching work that I did on my undergrad…”