A pedagogical initiative promoting Exercise is Medicine <sup>®</sup> for cancer prevention and supportive care
Cancer is a major global health challenge. Despite strong evidence supporting exercise in cancer prevention and care, its integration into treatment plans remains limited. This article outlines an experiential learning initiative combining cancer prevention, exercise physiology, and innovative teaching to raise awareness of exercise in cancer prevention and supportive care. An interdisciplinary team from a professional organization designed and implemented an Exercise is Medicine<sup>®</sup> video-based challenge. Undergraduate students created short, evidence-based videos that highlighted exercise's role in cancer prevention and care. Submissions were evaluated by the team and also shared for public voting at an annual regional conference. The challenge engaged 14 students, producing 12 videos with credible evidence and creative media. Finalist videos, promoted through social media and professional networks, generated >1,000 views, broadening awareness of exercise oncology. Awards recognized top submissions, encouraging student engagement, collaboration, and advocacy for exercise in supportive cancer care. The initiative showed that students could synthesize and communicate complex scientific concepts effectively. This novel, student-driven initiative demonstrated that experiential learning can be meaningfully integrated into physiology principles of oncology care. By engaging students in creative, evidence-based communication, the project deepened understanding of exercise's pathophysiological basis in cancer care and stressed multidisciplinary collaboration. This scalable educational model raises awareness of exercise oncology among future health professionals and supports a workforce ready to deliver patient-centered, evidence-based cancer care.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> This article outlines the intersection of cancer prevention, exercise physiology education, and pedagogical innovation. An exercise oncology initiative was used to educate students on the role of exercise in cancer prevention and supportive care through a video-based challenge. Participants integrated exercise physiology into cancer care advocacy, promoting collaborative care. The initiative raised awareness of exercise oncology and created a scalable framework for future education, emphasizing multidisciplinary collaboration in supportive cancer care.
Authors
- Steven J. Elmer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7955-1416)
- Laura A. Richardson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9600-625X)
- Garett Griffith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1704-0626)
- Melissa M. Sherman
- Dennis J. Kerrigan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5372-1544)
- Sandra K. Knecht
Institutions
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Henry Ford Hospital (US)
- University School (US)
- Indiana University School of Medicine
- Indiana University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- AJP Advances in Physiology Education
- Published
- 2025-12-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00187.2025
- Primary Topic
- Cancer survivorship and care
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00