Drs. Mary Rudisill and Pete Grandjean (front, left to right) display Gov. Bob Riley's proclamation designating May as "Exercise is Medicine'' Month in Alabama. Faculty and graduate students in the Department of Kinesiology are engaged in a number of outreach endeavors designed to educate Alabamians about the benefits of regular exercise.

 

As director of the Department of Kinesiology's TigerFit lab, Dr. Peter Grandjean wholeheartedly endorsed the "Exercise is Medicine'' initiative launched by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association as a means of emphasizing the medical benefits of regular physical activity.

Grandjean succeeded in raising the program's profile in Alabama by soliciting Gov. Bob Riley's  help in promoting it.

Riley signed a proclamation  designating May as "Exercise is Medicine" Month in Alabama.

Grandjean said such a measure could prove invaluable in affecting change in a state where, according to a 2005 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System study, 65 percent of adults are overweight or obese. As a result, Alabama ranks within the top 10 states for prevalence of heart disease, strokes and diabetes. In order to reverse those trends on the national level, the American College of Sports Medicine and American Medical Association developed the "Exercise is Medicine'' initiative in 2007 and called on states to devote a month of the year to emphasize the health benefits of physical activity.

As of Friday, the American College of Sports Medicine  reported that 28 states had recognized May as "Exercise is Medicine'' Month  .

"Exercise is Medicine'' works in conjunction with the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports'  National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. In addition to serving as a call to action, "Exercise is Medicine'' Month provides an opportunity for education.

"We're one of a handful of states that has been successful in that endeavor,'' said Grandjean, an associate professor of exercise physiology. "It seems to be gaining momentum. This is a way to make the public, as well as healthcare providers and physicians, more aware and provides them with resources and tools to become more active.''

Faculty members in the Department of Kinesiology are involved in a number of outreach efforts to improve quality of life locally, regionally, nationally and globally. The endeavors range from a physical play and education program for preschoolers at Auburn Day Care Centers and the Auburn University Autism Center to a sports education program development in Russia. At the state level, the TigerFit program provides hands-on training for students and provides health and fitness profiles for Alabamians.

"This isn't just an Alabama problem or a United States problem,'' said Dr. Mary Rudisill, head of the Department of Kinesiology and a Wayne T. Smith distinguished professor. "There is a global problem with obesity and sedentary behavior.

"We all play different roles in trying to solve these problems. We have basic researchers all the way up to people who are working in the trenches with children and adults to try to get them to be physically active.''

Often, the first step toward physical improvement involves a change in mindset. Grandjean said he and his colleagues are excited about helping lead Alabamians to healthier lifestyles through their involvement in "Exercise is Medicine'' Month. Grandjean and Rudisill emphasized that, while this month's effort emphasizes the value of lifetime exercise, even occasional physical activity can bring out positive outcomes with respect to blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, metabolism, mental health and well-being.

The TigerFit program, a collaborative effort between the Department of Kinesiology, Baptist Health Care Family Medicine Residency Program and Hughston Clinic, works to educate others about the positive components of exercise. The program has been designed for the purpose of conducting research in cardiovascular disease risk education through exercise and physical activity interventions.

"We're intervening in the lives of others to promote health,'' he said. "Every little dose of exercise causes a response. You have to continue to 'take the medicine' in order to get an overall treatment effect.''