An ecologically valid assessment of the exercise is medicine hypothesis
type: CreativeWork
description: Widespread physical inactivity and resultant increases in cardiovascular and metabolic disease is a serious public health concern in the developed World. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of research evidence suggests that physical activity is an effective intervention in addressing this state of affairs. An apparently strong case exists for the widespread clinical prescription of physical activity (PA). The application of PA in both preventative and remedial health is often termed ‘exercise is medicine’. Whilst on the basis of a large volume of laboratory data there is some consensus regarding the optimal delivery of health related PA, there is an apparent discrepancy between data emanating from laboratory and/or clinical studies and those emanating from real world interventions. In short, real world interventions do not appear to be as effective in promoting health as laboratory research suggests should be the case. This situation is compounded by a relative paucity of peer reviewed research studies reporting real world PA research, and furthermore by even less clinically relevant data. On this basis, a clear picture of the degree of translation from laboratory to the field is not yet possible. It is however not unreasonable to argue that the setting of the vast majority of research studies investigating the exercise is medicine hypothesis - that is laboratories, hospitals and clinics – might theoretically limit the translation of these findings to real world public health settings, and on that basis, more real world research is warranted. In Chapters 1 and 2 of this thesis the above arguments are developed into a case for a large scale ecologically valid translational study to investigate the effects of exercise on clinically relevant health variables. Chapter 3 presents the results of a pilot study that assessed the comparative effectiveness of structured PA (STRUC), unstructured PA (FREE), and PA counselling (PAC), among sedentary individuals in a community fit…
abstract: Widespread physical inactivity and resultant increases in cardiovascular and metabolic disease is a serious public health concern in the developed World. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of research evidence suggests that physical activity is an effective intervention in addressing this state of affairs. An apparently strong case exists for the widespread clinical prescription of physical activity (PA). The application of PA in both preventative and remedial health is often termed ‘exercise is medicine’. Whilst on the basis of a large volume of laboratory data there is some consensus regarding the optimal delivery of health related PA, there is an apparent discrepancy between data emanating from laboratory and/or clinical studies and those emanating from real world interventions. In short, real world interventions do not appear to be as effective in promoting health as laboratory research suggests should be the case. This situation is compounded by a relative paucity of peer reviewed research studies reporting real world PA research, and furthermore by even less clinically relevant data. On this basis, a clear picture of the degree of translation from laboratory to the field is not yet possible. It is however not unreasonable to argue that the setting of the vast majority of research studies investigating the exercise is medicine hypothesis - that is laboratories, hospitals and clinics – might theoretically limit the translation of these findings to real world public health settings, and on that basis, more real world research is warranted. In Chapters 1 and 2 of this thesis the above arguments are developed into a case for a large scale ecologically valid translational study to investigate the effects of exercise on clinically relevant health variables. Chapter 3 presents the results of a pilot study that assessed the comparative effectiveness of structured PA (STRUC), unstructured PA (FREE), and PA counselling (PAC), among sedentary individuals in a community fit…
author: Mann, Steven
language: en
keywords: RA Public aspects of medicine
date published: 2014-05
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:25:50Z
provider: University of Greenwich
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Greenwich