Sports as medicine

The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports has published a series of articles themed ‘sports as medicine’.

The articles form part of Faroese senior lecturer in nursing May-Britt Skoradal’s PhD thesis.

Most of the research was carried out in the Faroe Islands, reports the Faroese Research Council.

At the first international conference on the topic of sports as medicine, held in Portugal in January, the University of the Faroe Islands was represented with a keynote speaker and several lecturers.

The next conference on this topic will be held in Denmark in January 2019, and work is underway to bring the conference to the Faroes in spring 2020.

Earlier this summer, the Danish health authorities published an extensive report outlining scientific evidence that physical exercise is the best treatment for 28 out of 31 diseases.

Scientists are currently working on guidelines for treating diseases such as diabetes, coronary and arterial diseases, brittle bone disease, cancer and anxiety through physical exercise.

United States health authorities are planning to introduce the ‘exercise as medicine’ concept into its health education system.

The Faroese researchers involved in the project expect that this will also soon become an official part of the Faroese health system.

The Faroese scientists involved in the project are May-Britt Skoradal, Poula Patursson, Hildigunn Steinhólm, Maria Hammer Olsen, Pál Weihe, Jann Mortensen, Elisabeth Purkhús and Magni Mohr.

Translated by prosa.fo