Exercise for Health: Bridging Health Policy and Physical Activity Practice
12 December 2025
On December 4, 2025, at the European Parliament in Brussels, the event Exercise for Health: Bridging Health Policy and Physical Activity Practice took place, organized by EuropeActive with the support of MEP Nina Carberry. The initiative brought together representatives from European institutions, public health experts, researchers, and stakeholders from the physical activity sector to discuss how to more effectively promote physical exercise as a tool for prevention and health improvement across Europe.
The distribution of the booklet “Exercise is Medicine: Quick Guide to Exercise Prescription” helped reinforce the message shared by many speakers: exercise is one of the most effective — yet still underutilized — resources for preventing and treating chronic diseases and promoting a better quality of life.
During the panel “Bridging Health and Exercise”, our presentation offered a perspective focused on prevention and evidence-based health promotion, emphasizing the importance of integrating physical activity into healthcare strategies and public policies at both national and European levels. Through concrete examples of local initiatives, institutional collaborations, and impact-oriented programs, it was reiterated how communities can be supported to become more active and aware of their own well-being.
The conference also provided an opportunity to share the most effective national experiences, the barriers to an active lifestyle, and the role of partnerships between the public sector, private sector, and research community. There was widespread agreement on the need for stronger collaboration among the different actors involved, so that physical activity can become a central and structural element of European public health strategies.
All interventions highlighted how essential a systemic and integrated approach to health promotion is, emphasizing that building a more active and healthier Europe requires commitment and shared collaboration among all stakeholders involved.
The distribution of the booklet “Exercise is Medicine: Quick Guide to Exercise Prescription” helped reinforce the message shared by many speakers: exercise is one of the most effective — yet still underutilized — resources for preventing and treating chronic diseases and promoting a better quality of life.
During the panel “Bridging Health and Exercise”, our presentation offered a perspective focused on prevention and evidence-based health promotion, emphasizing the importance of integrating physical activity into healthcare strategies and public policies at both national and European levels. Through concrete examples of local initiatives, institutional collaborations, and impact-oriented programs, it was reiterated how communities can be supported to become more active and aware of their own well-being.
The conference also provided an opportunity to share the most effective national experiences, the barriers to an active lifestyle, and the role of partnerships between the public sector, private sector, and research community. There was widespread agreement on the need for stronger collaboration among the different actors involved, so that physical activity can become a central and structural element of European public health strategies.
All interventions highlighted how essential a systemic and integrated approach to health promotion is, emphasizing that building a more active and healthier Europe requires commitment and shared collaboration among all stakeholders involved.
