The Science of Exercise for Health: Integrative Approaches to Prevention and Therapy

Dear Colleagues,

Physical activity and structured exercise are widely recognized as fundamental determinants of health across the lifespan. A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that regular exercise plays a critical role in the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, musculoskeletal disorders, mental health conditions and neurodegenerative diseases. Beyond disease prevention, exercise contributes to improvements in physical function, cognitive performance, psychosocial well-being and overall quality of life in both healthy and clinical populations.

In recent years, advances in exercise science, biomechanics, physiology, public health and digital health technologies have expanded our understanding of how different types, intensities and contexts of exercise influence health outcomes. These developments highlight the need for an integrative and evidence-based perspective on exercise as a powerful, low-cost and scalable health intervention.

It is increasingly recognized that health-promoting movement (“Bewegung”), including low-threshold, everyday physical activities, plays a crucial role in the context of prevention, particularly for older adults and individuals who are inactive or living with functional limitations. For these populations, the concept of structured exercise or physical activity may appear demanding and potentially discouraging, whereas movement-oriented approaches emphasize accessibility, feasibility and long-term adherence.

While exercise represents a central pillar of prevention and therapy, it should be considered within a broader, multifactorial prevention framework. Other preventive pillars, such as healthy nutrition, avoidance of tobacco, psychosocial well-being, adequate sleep and cardiovascular risk management, as outlined in established prevention models including the American Heart Association’s preventive framework, serve as important accompanying measures that interact with and reinforce the benefits of physical activity and exercise.

In line with current European perspectives, this Special Issue also acknowledges the recommendations of the European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations, including the “10 Pillars of Prevention” described in the Eur. Prevention Position Statement 2024 (Medicina dello Sport, 2024). These frameworks highlight exercise and movement as key components of an integrated, evidence-based approach to disease prevention, health promotion and sustainable healthcare.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute with evidence-based knowledge in the field of the Impact of Exercise on Health. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the impact of exercise on health, bridging basic, clinical and applied research perspectives. The focus aligns closely with the scope of Healthcare, which emphasizes translational research, health promotion, disease prevention, rehabilitation and healthcare delivery across diverse populations and settings.

By addressing exercise as both a preventive and therapeutic strategy, this Special Issue seeks to advance knowledge that informs clinical practice, public health policies and personalized healthcare approaches. The scope is intentionally focused on health-related outcomes while remaining sufficiently broad to capture multidisciplinary contributions relevant to healthcare professionals, researchers and policymakers.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and review papers are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Effects of exercise on physical, mental and cognitive health
• Exercise interventions for chronic disease prevention and management
• Exercise prescription and personalized training in clinical populations
• Physical activity and health across the lifespan (children, adults, older adults)
• Exercise, rehabilitation and functional recovery
• Digital health, wearables and remote monitoring of exercise and health outcomes
• Exercise in public health, community and healthcare settings
• Barriers and facilitators to physical activity and exercise adherence

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions and to advancing scientific knowledge on the role of exercise in promoting health and well-being.

Dr. Pedro Forte
Dr. José Eduardo Teixeira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• exercise
• physical activity
• health
• rehabilitation
• quality of life
• clinical exercise
• sports