Salutogenesis for health promotion: tensions and future directions for physical activity/active living research

A binary view of health, categorizing individuals as either healthy or diseased, has directed much of physical activity research toward evidencing its biomedical benefits. Physical activity is positioned primarily as a means of reducing risk or preventing illness with an appropriate lifestyle modification (e.g. meeting guidelines), reinforcing a pathogenic perspective. A salutogenic perspective, grounded in the 'dis-ease-ease' continuum, emphasizes health as a dynamic process rather than a fixed state. Within this continuum, physical activity is seen not only as preventive but also as a resource that helps individuals navigate daily stressors and move toward greater well-being. This perspective aligns with broader commitments to 'active living,' which extend beyond structured exercise to include how people integrate movement into everyday life. It also advances global declarations, such as the Ottawa Charter, which call for strengthening resources, enabling supportive environments, and addressing the social conditions that shape well-being. To realize this potential, physical activity research should be reframed under the broader 'active living' agenda through a salutogenic perspective that moves beyond risk reduction. Salutogenesis provides a compelling framework for understanding health as resource-oriented and dynamic. However, its application within physical activity research remains under-developed. Looking ahead, greater conceptual clarity is needed to explain how physical activity interacts with sense of coherence, stress management, and everyday meaning making, as well as how social and environmental factors enable or constrain these processes. Advancing salutogenesis in physical activity/active living research can move the field past binary metrics and highlight how active living fosters health-promoting, salutogenic societies.