From participation to prevention – the expanding role of physical activity in lifelong health

This edition of BJSM focuses on physical activity across the continuum: from promotion and participation to its role in disease prevention. Here, we consider physical inactivity as a risk factor for various physical and mental health outcomes, and we also think of physical activity as an outcome itself. There are multiple ways we can examine physical inactivity and promote physical activity throughout the lifespan. We can ‘zoom in’ to develop comprehensive, personalised approaches that target individual-level barriers to physical activity. Alternatively, we can ‘zoom out’ to analyse broader trends and system-level factors influencing physical activity engagement across diverse communities, varying disease states and subpopulations. Throughout this issue, you will read from author teams taking both approaches with the same goal—helping us remain active so that we may thrive throughout every stage of life. The health benefits of exercise are well documented, yet population-level participation in physical activity remains low across all stages of life. The infographic by Li et al challenges us to think about access and inclusivity in the promotion of physical activity in children and adolescents with disabilities (see page 1021) . The authors make many suggestions, including increasing the time children and adolescents spend moving their …