1. Effectively communicate coaching instructions, and evidence-informed training strategies to both specialist and non-specialist audiences and competently deploy key exercise programmes to individuals with musculoskeletal injuries and high-performance athletes. 

Communication,  

Digital Literacy 

2. Use a range of established analytical techniques to interpret available evidence, including physiological and biomechanical information, and create appropriate exercise intervention solutions for individuals across early, mid, and late stages of injury rehabilitation, as well as for high-performance athletic preparation 

Critical Reasoning and Collaboration 

Practical: In this simulation, you will demonstrate the safe and effective delivery of an evidence-informed exercise programme for individuals with neuromusculoskeletal injuries or for high-performance athletic preparation. During the assessment, you are expected to verbally screen the participant, agree on clear session objectives, and deliver a structured programme tailored to your assigned case study. This may include early-, mid-, or late-stage rehabilitation, or an in-season performance session, depending on the randomly selected stage.  

Within this module, students will complete formative assessment tasks designed to support the development of professional knowledge and skills. These tasks will be structured to enable students to demonstrate their developing ability to meet the competencies required by the relevant Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB), while receiving feedback that supports progression towards the summative assessments and professional standards expected within the discipline.

This module builds on your knowledge of exercise prescription by introducing the principles, methods, and applied practice of exercise rehabilitation and high-performance preparation. You will deepen your understanding of how to plan, deliver, and progress rehabilitation and conditioning programmes for individuals recovering from neuromusculoskeletal injury, as well as for those preparing for higher-level athletic performance. 

You will begin by exploring common musculoskeletal injury mechanisms, tissue healing processes, and the physiological and biomechanical factors that influence rehabilitation outcomes. This includes exploring concepts such as load tolerance, functional capacity, movement dysfunction, and compensatory strategies that commonly emerge following injury. You will develop an appreciation of how injury stage, tissue type, and individual context shape rehabilitation priorities and exercise selection. 

Building on your existing knowledge, you will advance your competence in interpreting a range of physiological and biomechanical outcomes, which include strength profiling, power diagnostics, movement quality evaluation, neuromuscular control testing, and the use of functional performance assessments relevant to rehabilitation progression and return-to-sport decision-making. You will learn how to synthesise qualitative and quantitative data to from these tests to determine readiness to progress between early-, mid-, and late-stage rehabilitation phases. 

You will develop the ability to design and coach progressive rehabilitation programmes that integrate mobility restoration, neuromuscular re-education, strength and hypertrophy training, plyometric preparation, power development, and cardiovascular conditioning. Importantly, you will explore how to manipulate training variables and how to individualise rehabilitation based on clinical presentation, stage of recovery, and performance goals. 

You will also examine principles of strength and conditioning in greater depth, including periodisation, load monitoring, fatigue management, and the transition from rehabilitation to performance training. The module will introduce methods of evaluating rehabilitation effectiveness, including outcome measures, benchmarks, and return-to-sport criteria. 

By the end of the module, you will be able to apply advanced principles to rehabilitation planning, administer and interpret human performance and physical function data, and design safe, progressive, and evidence-informed rehabilitation and conditioning programmes appropriate for individuals recovering from injury or preparing for high-performance sport. 

How do you help athletes recover from injury and reach peak performance? 
This module teaches you how to plan and deliver rehabilitation and conditioning programmes for injured and uninjured high-performance athletes. You’ll explore injury mechanisms, tissue healing, and performance testing, and learn how to design progressive exercise interventions that restore movement, build strength, and prepare athletes for high-level sport. You’ll also develop coaching skills and learn how to evaluate readiness for return to play. This is essential for careers in sports therapy and rehabilitation, and sport and exercise science.  

We are committed to providing an engaging, inclusive, and supportive learning environment that develops students’ knowledge, clinical reasoning, and practical skills.  

A central feature of our approach is simulation-based learning, which allows students to engage with realistic clinical scenarios in a safe and structured setting. Learning is carefully scaffolded: students begin with peer-to-peer role-play, exploring fundamental concepts, communication, and interpersonal skills; progress to case study simulations, applying evidence-based knowledge to increasingly complex injury scenarios; and ultimately integrate these skills into real-world practice within the University’s commercial clinics at Level 5 and 6. This structured progression ensures a seamless transition from theory to professional application while preparing students for graduate employability. 

The module is delivered predominantly face-to-face, combining theoretical understanding with hands-on practical experience to support deeper learning and to develop practical competence. Students refine their manual and technical skills through guided practice, live demonstrations, and independent tasks, consolidating knowledge while building confidence in healthcare and sport settings. 

To further support self-directed and reflective learning, students have access to our telehealth and greenscreen facilities, enabling the creation of digital learning resources for revision, skill development, and reflective practice. These activities encourage active engagement, critical thinking, and the integration of evidence-based knowledge into practical decision-making. 

Liguori, G., & American College of Sports Medicine. (2020). ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Lippincott williams & wilkins.  

NSCA-National Strength & Conditioning Association (Ed.). (2021). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Human kinetics.

Industry standard Teaching Clinic and Rehabilitation Zone 

State-of-the-Art Telehealth Hub