Get Moving! Healthy Physical
Activity Habits Can Last a Lifetime
By RICK WEBER
In a concerted effort to address the urgent need for targeted health interventions, Florida Gulf Coast University is championing a global health initiative to make physical activity assessment and promotion a standard practice in health care for everyone.
The aging statistics are astonishing: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 4.4 million Americans will turn 65 in 2025. That’s 12,000 people per day. By 2030, all Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) will have reached this milestone.
Exercise Is Medicine (EIM) Active Aging aligns with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in its mission to integrate physical activity into routine healthcare, bridging the gap between older adults and evidence-based exercise programs led by qualified professionals. By prioritizing Active Aging, ACSM is taking a leadership role in meeting the growing demand for education, programs and policies that improve older adult health.
The Exercise Science Program at FGCU’s Marieb College of Health & Human Services and FGCU’s University Recreation and Wellness Department are working together to offer EIM-OC, or Exercise is Medicine on Campus, which calls upon colleges and universities to promote physical activity and encourage faculty, staff and students to work together toward improving the health and well-being of the campus community.
And that flows upward to every segment of Southwest Florida.
“What we learn with EIM-OC can be applied and revised to fit any community, corporation or group with shared interests and resources,” says Dr. Patti Sawyer-Simmons, an Associate Professor in the Exercise Science (ES) program at FGCU’s Marieb College of Health and Human Services. “Lessons learned on campuses can impact student lives beyond higher education, help with employee morale and wellness, be shared across campuses and ultimately expand to surrounding communities through community-engaged learning and impactful evidence-based programing interventions and collaborations beyond campus.”
There’s no better time to celebrate the work being done at FGCU, because September is National Cholesterol Education Month.
“The concept of exercise as medicine and the use of physical activity to help with certain conditions related to health and well-being ties into National Cholesterol Education Month by being a tool to help prevent dyslipidemia/hypercholesterolemia through exercise—in conjunction with a healthy diet,” Sawyer-Simmons says. “Physical activity and exercise have been shown to increase ‘good’ cholesterol, or HDLs, as well.”
EIM-OC makes movement a part of the daily campus culture; assesses physical activity at every student health visit; provides students with the tools necessary to strengthen healthy physical activity habits that can last a lifetime; and connects university health care providers with university health fitness specialists to provide a referral system for exercise prescription.
Over 90 participants (mostly students, but some faculty and employees) have taken advantage of this free PA promotion intervention since 2022, with more than 50 students—mostly Exercise Science majors—volunteering as EIM-OC mentors to support participants on their physical activity journey. Each year, hundreds of students and FGCU employees participate in EIM-OC-sponsored events such as FitCraze, EIM-OC Week in October and Movement Matters Day in the spring.
“That being said, we are still relatively unknown and are working to increase program awareness, promotion, participation and overall buy-in on campus,” Sawyer-Simmons says.
Marieb College’s Exercise Science Program also facilitates Community-Engaged Learning, in which students complete two full-time experiential learning internships at local cardiac rehab centers, wellness facilities, senior living communities and strength and conditioning programs.
“Students are exposed to various settings that align to the workforce’s needs in the area,” says Barbara Tymczyszyn, FGCU’s ES Program Director. “Students get the opportunity to work directly with clients.
Often, older adults are perceived as becoming frailer, but the students quickly learn that older adults are very capable of being active, exercising and building strength—which ultimately helps with their quality of life. They also learn that keeping older adults healthy for longer through functional movement is a win-win situation for everyone.”
She says the program provides a direct pipeline for local employers seeking qualified, field-ready professionals. The internship program is essentially a four-month interview process during which students have the opportunity to make their mark.
Theys work in such areas as fitness, wellness, cardiac and pulmonary rehab delivering exercise prescriptions, wellness programming and preventative care education. They also bring value to a community site by applying current, research-backed practices to improve the outcomes in strength, endurance, balance, mobility and quality of life. The FGCU EIM-OC program is one of the ES program’s internship opportunities, working with the University Recreation and Wellness Department.
“Community partners report that their participants enjoy working with the students,” Tymczyszyn says. “Students also often develop tools such as fitness plans, wellness workshops, exercise videos and educational materials that can be reused by the sites.”
She says it’s important for the community to understand that through these programs, FGCU is shaping the future of evidence-based practice in the field of exercise science.
“Our program is committed to developing well-rounded professionals who are prepared to work with a diverse range of clients—from elite athletes to individuals managing multiple chronic conditions,” she says. “While we provide a strong academic and practical foundation, we also challenge our students to think critically and adapt within a constantly evolving industry. In an age of information overload, it is essential to prepare practitioners who can not only apply the science, but also discern credible sources and make informed, ethical decisions in practice.”
FGCU
Marieb College of Health and Human Services
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965
(239) 590-1000 | fgcu.edu