Helen Collins is a Sport and Exercise Scientist, currently coming towards the end of her PhD at the University of Dundee looking at strength training as a method of getting children more active.
Helen completed a Sport & Exercise Science degree at Northumbria University and then a Masters at Sheffield Hallam and was very much physiology based for years and started to develop an interest in working with athletes. On moving to Scotland Helen worked as a Sports Science Officer at Dundee Uni alongside being a Physiologist at Sportscotland.
On hearing a talk from Avery Faigenbaum about kids and the impact of strength training on health, Helen was inspired to do a PhD in strength training in kids but in a new direction of health and physical activity.
Helen’s current role is very much health/activity related now and her research is quite novel. She is looking at the impact of strength training on parameters of health (in particular weight status, confidence and movement skills) in the hope that it can help kids develop an active lifestyle.
In this episode we discuss:
- Helen’s path to her current role
- A day in the life
- Transition from Physiologist to Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Is a career in performance sport as appealing for female S&Cs with family responsibilities?
- Strength training as a method of getting children active
- Advice for female S&Cs
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Work by Avery Faigenbaum
- UKSCA Position Statement on Youth Strength and Conditioning
- Sheffield Hallam Strength for Life
- Researchgate (for any of Helen’s work)

You can also get in contact with Helen on twitter at @helen_collins1
Got any feedback? Drop me a message via Twitter @Lucijayne, Instagram @luc13_jayne or leave a comment on the podcast!

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