ECSS Program Satellite Symposium “Exercise Is Medicine (EIM)” Symposium organized by EXERNET

Exercise is Medicine® (EIM), is a global health initiative launched in 2007 by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) that encourages health care providers to include physical activity when designing treatment plans and to refer patients to evidence-based exercise programs and qualified exercise professionals. Currently, it is active in 43 countries with representation in all continents, with an increased presence in Europe. This initiative is trying to promote widespread implementation of physical activity in healthcare settings by a multidisciplinary network of health care providers. EIM is committed to the belief that physical activity is integral in the prevention and treatments of diseases and should be regularly assessed and “treated” as part of all healthcare. In 2015, an independent EIM Center as a non-profit non-governmental organization for Europe was founded, named `European Initiative for Exercise in Medicine’ (EIEIM), based in Ulm (Germany) and with collaborations with EIM in the United States.

The present one-day satellite symposium proposal will be held in Cadiz (Spain). Cádiz is a city with maritime port on the southwestern coast of Spain and 120 kilometers apart from Seville (approx. 1 hour by train). This historical city is the oldest in Western Europe with a relevant influence on the national and international history, but also has some of the more beautiful beaches in Europe being a referent location for tourism. In this context, the University of Cadiz has a degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences plus a master’s degree in physical Activity and Health with high international repercussion. The researchers in sport sciences and health from the different research groups at University of Cádiz have been working on how physical activity and exercise can benefit different health conditions and populations. The local MOVE-IT and GALENO research groups from University of Cádiz are glad to host this satellite symposium.