Exercise is Medicine – On Campus

The vision of Exercise is Medicine®(EIM), a global health initiative managed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), is to make physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical care, connecting health care with evidence-based physical activity resources for people everywhere and of all abilities.

EIM encourages physicians and other health care providers to include physical activity when designing treatment plans and to refer patients to evidence-based exercise programs and qualified exercise professionals. EIM is committed to the belief that physical activity promotes optimal health and is integral in the prevention and treatment of many medical conditions.

Exercise is Medicine^® On Campus (EIM-OC) calls upon universities and colleges to promote physical activity as a vital sign of health. EIM-OC encourages faculty, staff and students to work together toward improving the health and well-being of the campus community by:

• Making movement a part of the daily campus culture
• Assessing physical activity at every student health visit
• Providing students with the tools necessary to strengthen healthy physical activity habits that can last a lifetime
• Connecting university health care providers with university health fitness specialists to provide a referral system for exercise prescription. 

Physical activity: any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscles that results in an increase in caloric requirements over resting energy expenditure.

Exercise: a type of physical activity consisting of planned, structured, and repetitive bodily movement done to improve and/or maintain one or more components of physical fitness.

Moderate-intensity physical activity: any physical activity that raises your heart rate to 50% to 70% of your maximum, makes you breathe harder, causes you to break a sweat, and feels like medium effort (5 or 6 on a 10-point scale) while still allowing you to talk comfortably. Common examples include brisk walking (3-4 mph), water aerobics, and riding a bike on level ground.

Vigorous-intensity physical activity: any physical activity that raises your heart rate to 70% to 85% of your maximum, makes your breathing heavy; causes you to break a sweat, and feels like hard effort (7or 8 on a 10-point scale), while only speaking a few words at a time before having to stop to catch your breath. . Common examples include jogging or running (5+ mph), swimming laps fast, and riding a bike fast or up steep hills.

Aerobic training: movements designed to improve cardiorespiratory fitness that use major muscle groups and are continuous and rhythmic

Resistance training: movements designed to improve muscular fitness by exercising a muscle or a muscle group against external resistance (ACSM, 2022).

American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control recommendations state:

• Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits
  
  
• For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Preferably, aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week.
  
  
• Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.

To do physical activity safely and reduce risk of injuries and other adverse events, people should:

• Understand the risks yet be confident that physical activity can be safe for almost everyone.
  
  
• Choose types of physical activity that are appropriate for their current fitness level and health goals, because some activities are safer than others.
  
  
• Increase physical activity gradually over time to meet key guidelines or health goals. Inactive people should “start low and go slow” by starting with lower intensity activities and gradually increasing how often and how long activities are done.
  
  
• Protect themselves by using appropriate gear and sports equipment, choosing safe environments, following rules and policies, and making sensible choices about when, where, and how to be active.
  
  
• Be under the care of a health care provider if they have chronic conditions or symptoms. People with chronic conditions and symptoms can consult a health care professional or physical activity specialist about the types and amounts of activity appropriate for them.

• Sleep: Improves sleep quality
• Less Anxiety: Reduces feelings of anxiety
• Improves Mood States: Increases perceptions of feeling good
• Blood Pressure: Reduces blood pressure

• Brain Health: Reduces risks of developing dementia (including Alzheimer's disease) and reduces risk of depression
• Heart Health: Lowers risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
• Cancer Prevention: Lowers risk of 8 cancers (bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, lung, and stomach)
• Healthy Weight: Reduces risk of weight gain
• Bone Strength: Improves bone health
• Balance and Coordination: Reduces risks of falls
• Emerging research suggests physical activity may also help boost immune function

• Falcon Health Center* 419-372-2271
• Office of Health and Wellness 419-372-WELL (9355)
• Falcon Fitness Inclusive, accessible fitness programs for BGSU students, faculty, staff, and community members
• BGSU Nutrition Clinic Provides accessible nutrition care to the community while training future dietitians
• Falcon Food Pantry Supports BGSU students, faculty and staff with nutritious and accessible food