_edited.png)
About Exercise is Medicine
EIM at HKU
Launched by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Exercise is Medicine (EIM) is a global health initiative encouraging primary care physicians and other health care providers to include exercise when designing treatment plans for patients. We are committed to the belief that physical activity is integral in the prevention and treatment of diseases and should be regularly assessed and “treated” as part of all medical care.
Physical inactivity is a fast-growing public health problem and contributes to a variety of chronic diseases and health complications, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, depression and anxiety, arthritis, and osteoporosis. In addition to improving a patient’s overall health, increasing physical activity has proven effective in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases.
The initial purpose of EIM was to make the scientifically proven benefits of physical activity the standard in the healthcare system. Within two years of its launch, representatives from international public health, medical and scientific associations asked ACSM to expand its initial scope beyond the United States and begin a multinational collaboration to make EIM a global effort, which has also reached Hong Kong as well as The University of Hong Kong.
The HKU Centre for Sports and Exercise (CSE), is charged with enhancing sport, recreation, and health and fitness amongst our student and staff populations. While one of our major focuses at CSE is on sport and athlete development, another part of our mission is to provide more and better exercise, health, and physical activity opportunities for students and staff of all fitness standards and abilities.
With this in mind the CSE, with the collaborative support of the University Health Services, is promoting Exercise is Medicine on Campus, which is a worldwide initiative that calls upon universities and colleges to engage in the promotion of physical activity as a vital sign of health. We believe that physical activity is integral to the health and wellbeing of HKU and we encourage more staff and students to obtain the healthy benefits of a regularly active lifestyle.
_edited.jpg)
Dr Michael Tse (Assistant Director, CSE – centre) receiving the Gold Campus Award from Dr Bob Sallis (President of ACSM – left), and Dr. Karina Winters (Chair of Exercise is Medicine on Campus Committee – right) at the annual ACSM conference in Minneapolis (June 2018)
Dr Michael Tse invited to present at at the annual ACSM conference in Minneapolis (June 2018) about HKU’s EIM-OC activities
Being the first Asian University awarded with the Gold EIM on Campus Recognition, The University of Hong Kong encourages faculty, staff and students to work together toward improving the health and well-being of the campus community. This “EIM Gold Level Campus” Award is in recognition of the work done by HKU staff especially those within the Center for Sports and Exercise and the University Health Service (UHS) to coordinate the extensive promotion of a healthy campus at HKU. This award validates the efforts made to encourage more staff and students to obtain the healthy benefits of a regularly active lifestyle through multiple promotional activities including provision of suitable recreational opportunities, access to a range of recreational equipment/facilities, and the combined encouraging support of both medical staff during patient consultations as well as promotional talks/material by the UHS and CSE staff.