Physical Activity Education in Medical Training

Physical activity education is increasingly recognised as a fundamental component of medical training. Recent curricular models emphasise integrated teaching of the physiological basis of exercise, practical counselling skills and behaviour-change strategies to prepare future physicians for promoting active lifestyles in clinical practice. Key approaches include embedding physical activity topics within core modules, utilising experiential learning such as student-led active sessions, and fostering interprofessional collaboration with exercise science specialists. These initiatives aim to enhance medical students’ knowledge of exercise physiology, their self-efficacy in providing tailored physical activity prescriptions, and their personal engagement in healthy behaviours. The global burden of non-communicable diseases and emerging guidelines for exercise as medicine have further driven the incorporation of structured physical activity education to ensure graduates can meet clinical recommendations and address population health priorities.

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Physical Activity Education in Medical Training publication trend

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Technical terms

Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM): A medical speciality focusing on the use of physical activity and exercise interventions for prevention, diagnosis and management of injury and disease.

VO2max: The maximal rate of oxygen uptake measured during incremental exercise, reflecting an individual’s aerobic fitness level.

Experiential learning: A teaching approach that emphasises learning through direct experience, reflection and application of new skills in realistic contexts.

Self-efficacy: An individual’s belief in their capability to execute behaviours necessary to produce specific performance attainments.

Physical activity prescription: The tailored recommendation of exercise type, intensity, frequency and duration to meet health or clinical goals.

References

1. Health-related fitness in medical students: a curricular intervention in Bogota, Colombia. BMC Public Health (2024).
2. Creating a sport and exercise medicine undergraduate syllabus: a delphi study. BMC Medical Education (2023).
3. Health policy considerations for combining exercise prescription into noncommunicable diseases treatment: a narrative literature review. Frontiers in Public Health (2023).
4. Physical activity counseling in medical school education: a systematic review. Medical Education Online (2014).