NUK Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Leisure Studies Promotes Community Wellness Through Health Workshops
2026-07-07
The Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Leisure Studies at the National University of Kaohsiung (NUK), led by Associate Professor Shu-Tzu Chuang, has been actively promoting healthy lifestyles within local communities through a series of Leisure and Health Workshops held during the first half of this year.
Partnering with NUK's Smart Senior Learning Program, the Kaohsiung Aquatic Sports Association, the Kaohsiung Tchoukball Association, and principals from elementary and junior high schools across Kaohsiung, the workshops provided professional services including body composition analysis, health consultations, and exercise guidance. The initiative aimed to help community members develop healthy lifestyle habits while giving students valuable opportunities to apply their professional knowledge through community engagement and health promotion.
Taking advantage of the winter school break in February, when school principals had more flexible schedules, the project team invited principals from various schools to participate in health promotion activities. Participants underwent body composition assessments using an InBody body composition analyzer, gaining insights into their physical condition and receiving personalized recommendations on exercise and health management.
From May 1 to May 3, the team partnered with the Kaohsiung Tchoukball Association during the Harbor City Cup Tchoukball Tournament, providing health assessments and promoting healthy living to participants.
On June 6 and 7, NUK collaborated with the Kaohsiung Aquatic Sports Association to host another Leisure and Health Workshop at Youchang Swimming Pool, encouraging community members to adopt active and healthy recreational lifestyles.
On June 12, the initiative expanded its reach by working with NUK's Smart Senior Learning Program, bringing health promotion activities to older adults and broadening the range of community members served.
Associate Professor Chuang explained that the workshops were developed under the university's University Social Responsibility (USR) Project, specifically Higher Education Sprout Project Theme II: Fulfilling Social Responsibility. The collaborative effort with local organizations aimed to enhance public health education by helping participants better understand their body composition through InBody assessments and identify exercise routines suited to their individual needs.
She noted that students from the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Leisure Studies played an active role in analyzing assessment results, discussing participants' dietary and exercise habits, and providing personalized recommendations for health improvement and physical activity.
By delivering services directly within communities, students were able to apply classroom knowledge in diverse real-world settings while strengthening their professional competencies through interactions with older adults, children, and people from various backgrounds.
Chuang emphasized that the workshops were designed to be more than simple health screening events. Through professional assessment and personalized consultation, the program sought to help participants better understand the importance of body composition and health management while encouraging sustainable healthy lifestyles.
The workshops received enthusiastic responses from participants across different age groups, with school principals expressing strong appreciation for the program. Students who participated in the service-learning activities also remarked that applying their academic training to benefit the community while enhancing their own professional skills made the experience especially meaningful.
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