Taking online courses or MOOCs can mean hours sitting in front of a computer or mobile device, which may not be very good for your health. Are there any courses that might help?
1 Nutrition
Major and smaller course providers offer several courses on various aspects of nutrition. Many are produced in the United States or Britain, so may be strongly biased towards foods common in these countries. The message, though, is very similar: eat a wide variety of mainly plant-based foods for vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and protein. Remember to include sufficient protein and some fatty foods, because the body needs these nutrients as well. It is easy to eat too much refined sugar and fat if you don’t have enough complex carbohydrates and fibre from vegetables, including legumes.
Courses can be found by searching course provider pages and Class Central. You could search for “food” or “nutrition”.
2 Exercise
Prolonged sitting has been associated with a number of chronic and acute health issues. Sit Less, Get Active (Coursera) is a three-week course that teaches how much physical activity we should be doing. Strategies to incorporate physical activity into our daily lives are also discussed and participants are encouraged to set goals and track progress.
Staying Fit (Stanford Online) is a self-paced course with a small time commitment.
3 Meditation/Happiness
A healthy body also includes a healthy mind. Courses include A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment (Coursera) and The Science of Happiness (edX). I mentioned both these courses in 7 MOOCs Anyone Can Enjoy in August last year. There are also several other relevant courses including Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance (FutureLearn) and Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health (Coursera).
4 Sleep
Learning How to Learn (Coursera) teaches us that toxins are flushed away from the brain during sleep. Too little sleep over a prolonged time can lead to poor health outcomes. Sleep also helps our memory, especially while dreaming.
A course specifically addressing sleep is Sleep, Neurobiology, Medicine, and Society (Coursera). As well as the health implications of poor sleep, this course covers circadian rhythms, dealing with insomnia, and daytime sleepiness.
5 Dementia
Understanding Dementia and Preventing Dementia are provided by the Wicking Centre at the University of Tasmania. Look out for my review of Understanding Dementia next week.
Other providers also offer courses that discuss dementia, which is estimated to affect nearly 50 million people worldwide. As life expectancies continue to increase around the world, the number of affected people will rise.
6 Viruses
A few years ago, I completed two in-depth courses about viruses and how they work in the body. Sadly, these courses are no longer available through Coursera. Various courses are currently available including Viruses & How to Beat Them: Cells, Immunity, Vaccines (edX). Be aware that if you type “Viruses” into a search engine, some courses will be about computer viruses.
7 Observe Your Body
Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body is Telling Us (Coursera): The six weeks of this course teach us about pulse/heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism, temperature, respiration rate and pain. The videos are actually recorded lectures in front of a small group of nursing students, with several practical demonstrations. This course is about observing the body. It discusses normal and abnormal results rather than teaching us how to improve our health.
Health and Wellness Course
Introduction to Health and Wellness (edX): This 8-week comprehensive course covers many of the above subjects. Unfortunately, it is not currently available for new enrollments. I have added it to my “Interested” list on Class Central, so I should receive an email if there is another run later in the year.
A Final Thought
The courses mentioned here are just some of many available. If you type any of the topics mentioned here into a search engine such as Class Central, more courses will appear.
By Pat Bowden, published May 1, 2018.
