Medical knowledge about physical activity: a literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1679-9836.v102i3e-200521Keywords:
physical activity, exercise, medical educationAbstract
It is well established in the medical literature that the practice of physical activity is beneficial to health, being able to prevent and treat chronic diseases, in addition to promoting health and quality of life. However, the prevalence of physical inactivity in the population has increased in recent years, especially considering the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. A literature review was carried out to identify the level of medical knowledge about counseling and prescribing the regular practice of physical activity, strategies already documented as effective in increasing the population's level of physical activity. Medical advices on healthy lifestyle are well accepted by the population, and doctors are considered safe sources of information on health, characterizing the bond of trust present in the doctor-patient relationship. However, there are few professionals who put into practice the assessment of their patients' physical activity levels. Those who do are generally active and adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Among the barriers described, lack of time and specific knowledge were the most significant. In practice, rare are the universities that offer training or specific disciplines on counseling and prescription of physical activity in medical courses. As, in the context of medical residency, only those specialties related to primary care and health promotion, such as Family Medicine and Sports Medicine, address the issue so that their residents put into practice the recommendations on physical activity for their patients. Thus, for the regular practice of physical activity to be integrated into the health system, it is imperative to include theoretical and practical training on physical activity at all levels of medical training, from college to graduate programs.
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