Led by Professor George Metsios

This research theme investigates the role of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of disease and promotion of health. We have examined:

• physical activity as a therapeutic modality in the treatment and prevention of non-communicable diseases. Our research helped develop a MacMillan funded exercise-based cancer and cardiac rehabilitation service, which is still in operation today.
• physical activity in the promotion of health. Our research has been disseminated through the BBC programme ‘Trust me I’m a Doctor’.
• the management of medical problems experienced by exercising individuals at all ages and levels of participation. We work with practitioners via our work with involvement in the UK Active Scientific Advisory Board where we are interested in examining whether exercise can be an effective health regulation strategy and importantly, why it is. Our work has been controversial challenging existing methods and question whether exercise is medicine in our paper ‘death by effectiveness’.

Supported by our state of the art Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanner, in working with older adults and athletic populations, our research looks at understanding the relationship between bone health, specific physical activities, genetic implications, adolescence, and fall risk.

People have a range of strategies they use to improve mood and wellbeing, with exercise being one of the most effective and popular. We were part of a large Economic and Social Research Council grant that involved partnerships with other universities called Emotional Regulation of Others and Self (EROS).  This examined how people regulate their emotions, including the effectiveness of strategies such as listening to music. Our recent work aims to better understand the use of eating as a coping behaviour, particularly in response to pleasant and unpleasant emotions.

Interested in working or studying with us?

If you would like to conduct collaborative work with us or think our research expertise will help your organisation, then please get in touch with us at SPARC@WLV.AC.UK.