Movement is medicine

Wits research shows how movement reduces disease

Movement is the missing link in South Africa’s health story. It is that simple. Researchers at Wits have proven without a doubt that movement can prevent and reduce the effects of disease, including cancers, improve recovery and protect mental health.

“Human beings are hardwired for movement,” says Demitri Constantinou, Professor and Specialist Sports and Exercise Physician in the Wits Department of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. “When we stop moving, our bodies start to deteriorate … and it happens rapidly.”

Constantinou’s team has conducted research that shows that even a single day of inactivity can trigger measurable changes in the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. “On the other hand, physical activity releases signalling molecules that influence cell metabolism, regeneration and immunity. The effects are profound and they start with something as simple as standing up.”

Sitting is the new smoking

“Any movement is better than none, so even standing instead of sitting makes a measurable difference to your health,” says Constantinou.

Research on movement in the department spanned a cross-section of adults, including blue-collar workers, office employees, students and patients recovering from illness. They found that prehabilitation (preparing a patient for surgery by optimising their physical and mental health beforehand) and rehabilitation through exercise improved recovery, reduced complications and enhanced quality of life. “Exercise before, during and after illness is one of the most powerful interventions we have and yet it is under-prescribed,” says Constantinou.

The other, darker side of that coin is that a sedentary lifestyle kills.

Standing up for movement

It is enough to make one stand up immediately when reading Professor Philippe Gradidge’s research. He has spent years studying physical activity, obesity and sedentary behaviour, including the effects of ‘standing desks’. Gradidge says that movement is not about extreme sport, it is about micro-movements that add up in the day, week and over a lifetime. “In our studies, we have seen that small changes like walking, standing or light stretching can meaningfully enhance both physical and mental wellbeing,” he says.

His team has shown that standing desks improve posture, reduce back pain and sharpen focus amongst office workers, while structured walking programmes improve heart health and mood among South African women. “Movement is medicine – and it works even in small doses,” says Gradidge.

He dispels the common benchmarks for those hooked on programmes linked to medical aid behavioural change schemes: “You don’t need 10 000 steps to start feeling better. In fact, emerging evidence suggests that as few as 2 000 to 4 000 steps daily can help reduce depressive symptoms.”

Gradidge adds, “In our studies, movement has helped people manage pain, regulate stress, improve health outcomes such as elevated blood pressure and become more aware of their physical state and movement patterns. It’s not just about performance. Rather, it’s about participating in environments where people can move joyfully and safely, free from barriers."

Most accessible prescription

Jon Patricios, Professor of Sports Science and Exercise Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences believes that despite small steps making a difference, we should aim to adhere to the World Health Organization’s guidelines of 300 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise, for all its well-described benefits.

Patricios is prolific in this area, working with corporates to establish and enhance exercise as medicine. Working in partnership with Discovery Vitality, Patricios was recently lead author of a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showing the effect of regular exercise on cancer.

“Knowing that as little as 60 minutes of regular weekly exercise may reduce the likelihood of cancer progression by 27% and death by 47% should encourage all doctors to use exercise as medicine,” says Patricios. “Regular physical activity is the most powerful and accessible prescription that we can give our patients.”

New sports complex

Wits University will launch the Wits Brian and Dorothy Zylstra Sports Complex in 2026, a state-of-the-art integrated facility for training, research and clinical practice. The Complex promises world-class research and therapeutic facilities, including an aquatics centre and a residence for elite athletes. A network of healthcare professionals and scientists including researchers, biokineticists, physiotherapists and other medical experts will be housed under one roof, with access for students and members of the public.

Dr Georgia Torres, a researcher in exercise and mental wellbeing, who serves as the Chief Operations Officer of the Complex, says that movement should be part of everyone’s life, even in low-resource settings where formal exercise is often out of reach. “Movement gives people agency,” she says.

Designing a society that promotes movement

The challenge lies in designing a society that supports movement.

“Our built environment isn’t designed for active living,” says Gradidge. “Pavements, parks, public transport - they should all invite movement, not restrict it.”

Free-to-access park runs, for instance, make active living easy and convenient, in a country that is showing increasingly reduced levels of exercise.

Torres says that the Zylstra Complex, as well as Wits’ commitment to the Global Alliance for the Promotion of Physical Activity, which unites researchers, policy leaders and communities in embedding movement into everyday life, represents positive progress.

“Movement is prevention, connection and empowerment,” says Torres. “It’s the simplest science of all but the hardest habit to build.”

This article originally appeared in Wits University’s research magazine, CURIOS.TY. DM

Author: Lem Chetty