Exercise Is Medicine® on Campus during COVID-19: Necessary Adaptations and Continuing Importance

Exercise Is Medicine® on Campus (EIM-OC), created by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), is an initiative connecting college medical providers to exercise providers to better promote physical activity (PA) among students. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), PA has been incorporated as a vital sign within the campus health medical system, in which the provider assesses the patient’s current PA. If needed, the provider refers the patient to the UNC EIM-OC team. The UNC EIM-OC initiative began in fall 2016, but it was not until spring 2020 that a fully operational system was in place, and UNC EIM-OC was awarded “gold status” by the ACSM. However, just as the system was running smoothly, the COVID-19 pandemic spread to the United States. COVID-19 and its associated social distancing restrictions have led to many changes in the EIM-OC process. With respect to EIM-OC, this commentary reports on (i) the continuing importance of the initiative during COVID-19, (ii) COVID-related adaptations to UNC EIM-OC, and (iii) recommendations for the upcoming school year.