Physical Activity and Health: The Evidence Explained

Physical Activity and Health explains clearly, systematically and in detail the relationship between physical activity, health and disease, and examines the role of exercise in the prevention and management of a wide range of important conditions.

Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, this is the most complete and engaging textbook on the subject. It offers a balanced examination of the latest evidence linking levels of physical activity with the risk of mortality, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, cancer, osteoporosis and dementia. Designed to help the reader evaluate the quality of the evidence, the book includes an invaluable discussion of common study designs and the inherent difficulties of measuring physical activity. It examines the evidence in relation to child and adolescent health, older adults, hazards of exercise, sedentary behaviour, public health policy and, in a new chapter, mental health, and an epilogue considers the emerging evidence regarding the significance of physical activity and COVID-19.

Containing chapter summaries, study tasks, guides to supplementary reading, a glossary of key terms and an abundance of figures and tables, Physical Activity and Health is an essential course text, and important reading for undergraduate, masters and postgraduate research students of sport and exercise science, public health, physical therapy, medicine and nursing.

This third edition is supported by an updated companion website featuring self-test questions, PowerPoint slides, learning activities and website links.

David J. Stensel is Professor of Exercise Metabolism and Associate Dean for Research in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, UK. He is also the Lifestyle Theme Lead for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre and Associate Editor for the International Journal of Obesity.

Adrianne E. Hardman is Emeritus Professor of Human Exercise Metabolism at Loughborough University, UK. She has over 30 years’ experience in university teaching and research, has published widely, given invited lectures in many countries, and has contributed to the development of guidelines on physical activity in the UK and in North America.

Jason M.R. Gill is Professor of Cardiometabolic Health at the University of Glasgow, UK. He leads an active multi-disciplinary research group investigating the effects of physical activity and wider lifestyle on the prevention and management of vascular and metabolic diseases. He is also Director of his university’s MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine.