Due to the Corona Pandemia the 9th EIEIM Conference had to take place virtually. The 9th Congress of Exercise is Medicine Europe was part of the "Sports, Medicine and Health Summit" with Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h. c. Jürgen M. Steinacker as congress president. It is planned to host this event every two years in Hamburg. 

The Conference was opened by the signing of the Hamburg Declaration.  The Hamburg Declaration supports the importance of physical activity for the entire population and particularly for the Healthcare sector. We thank you all for signing the 2021 Hamburg Declaration. We are happy that we gained the support of so many society and associations, particularly the support of the International Sports Medicine Federation, The European Sports Medicine Association, The International Olympic Committee and many others from all over the world.

During the Conference 6  EIEIM National Center Leaders from Ireland, The Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Poland and Germany, presented their best practise examples and concepts and showed how they support the Exercise is Medicine Initiative.

The 8th EIEIM Conference took place at the Public Library of Amsterdam. The Conference was opened by its organizer Prof. Willem van Mechelen (Amsterdam UMC), Prof. Jürgen Steinacker (University of Ulm, Exercise is Medicine Germany) and Fabio Pigozzi, President of the International Federation of Sports Medicine. Within two days well-known speakers lectured about Settings, Disease specific EIM, EIM for the young, EIM for persons with a disability and Future developments.

It was a special honor to listen to lectures held by Kathryn Schmitz ACSMs past president about EIM for cancer patients and Menno De Bree who held an excellent contribution on the ethics of EIM.

The 7th EIEIM Conference took place at the Medical University of Warsaw. Within two days well-known speakers lectured about exercising with chronic diseases, physical activity of the elderly and sedentary behaviours as well as the implementation of health policies.

It was a special honor to listen to lectures held by Hubert Krysztofiak from the Olympic Committee of Poland and Anthony Perl from Canada, who is a specialist for urban studies and political science. The walk with the doctor, staged during lunch time, had a high fun factor and showed an example for active breakes to the audience.

The 6th EIEIM annual conference was with more than 250 participants as well as well-known scientific speakers from the USA, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal a great success. Due to the large number of participants, the conference was displayed via a live stream into the foyer and transmitted to the Internet, so that those who were interested could watch from everywhere.

The Conference was opened by its organizers Prof. Luis B. Sardinha (University of Lisbon, Exercise is Medicine Portugal), Prof. Jürgen Steinacker (University of Ulm, Exercise is Medicine Germany) and the head of the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health Francisco George. The aim of the conference was to bring together different professions and to discuss new insights and knowledge on the subject of "Where exercise science meets medicine and health promotion".

The 5th EIEIM annual conference took place under the patronage of HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark with over 200 registered participants and was a great success, both for the local organizers (Prof. Bente Klarlund Pedersen, center of inflammation and metabolism, CIM, Copenhagen) as well as EIEIM (Prof. Jürgen Steinacker, University of Ulm).

Under the theme „exercise and ageing“, latest data on the effectiveness of physical activity for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes, COPD, osteoporosis and cancer were presented. Although the evidence for the health-promoting effect of physical activity („Exercise is Medicine“) is already proven, new ways must be found to motivate people to be more active in everyday life as well as to improve the attractiveness of health-promoting interventions in the health care system.

The 4th EIEIM annual conference was organized by the Croatian „Fitness Academy Zagreb“ under the theme "rebranding medical counseling for health". The range of topics of the conference included country-specific aspects relevant for the introduction and further development of EIM concepts in the health care system. A major challenge for the European Initiative is the implementation of uniform concepts (e.g. physical activity assessment by the general practitioner) in view of the different health care systems in various European countries.

A total of 14 lectures on the two conference days were held by well-known European health experts and scientists to provide insight into the current state of the EIEIM Initiative in Europe. At the same time, challenges and solution approaches for the implementation of the EIM programs (e.g. through new media) were stimulated and proposals for the unification of fitness tests, refferals and prescriptions in the health care system were presented.

Frankfurt a. M., September 6, 2013

Physical Activity and Sedentarism

The 2nd Congress of Exercise is Medicine was held in Frankfurt. The European Initiative has been officially established. Just as the year ago in Berlin, excellent international speakers from France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal and even the USA, gave lectures about the topic “Activity in Medicine”. Attendees from 10 European countries participated.
The Members of the Foundation Committee gathered in Barcelona on the 27th June 2013 to establish the European Initiative according to German law. The name “European Initiative for Exercise in Medicine (EIEIM)” was given and a subtitle “Rebranding medical counseling for health” which expresses the main object of the Initiative. Besides to the signing of the statutes, a cooperation with the American Initiative “Exercise is Medicine” was elaborated as well as a “Memorandum of Understanding” which grants the European Independence and supports a worldwide cooperation.
After the start-up period of EIEIM,  the 2nd Congress in Frankfurt was the perfect occasion to fill the Initiative with content and life. First aims were decided. The main aim is to train and educate Physicians to make a better and adequate counseling for their patients possible and to sensitize their patients for the topic “physical activity and exercise”. EIEIM plans to initiate a certified specialist training for general practitioner. The European Initiative campaigns for more knowledge about physical activity as a preventive and rehabilitative measure and attempts to integrate this content in courses for physicians and students. This aim can only be reached with the help of political cooperation like the European Commission. First Meetings with delegates of the sports unit took place.

Berlin, October 4-6, 2012

Exercise is Medicine Europe

From Oct 4 ‐6 the first congress of the “European Initiative for Exercise in Medicine” (EIEIM) took place in Berlin and it was a great success. It marks a mainstay and the development of European programs promoting physical activity and exercise in the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches of
medicine as well as in the whole society. At the meeting 101 participants from 15 countries were registered, in the DGSP conference 1114 person from 28 countries participated. For the scientific program excellent international speakers were invited.
Additionally, Jacob Kornbeck from the Sports Unit of the European Commission (EC) gave an introductory speech. After the congress Susanne Hollmann, the leader of the EC Sports Unit, wrote that the European Commission is looking forward to cooperate further closely with EIEIM. Therefore we are aiming strong networks with the European Commission. First goals of EIEIM are to establish a network throughout Europe and to support national initiatives and societies. Furthermore, the relation to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) will be fostered under the premises of a fair and transparent partnership and common development of our common goal to promote exercise and sport in the world. The approach of EIEM is much broader than the field of specialized Sports Medicine and exercise and sport should be promoted in the whole medical field which generates more broadness than a restriction to Sports Medicine specialists. In the National Initiatives for EIEIM we state that Sports Medicine associations are important and we also would strongly suggest that a physician is head of each national initiative. But it is very important that other medical professions like general physicians or other physician specialists are
part of the initiative which extends the limits of normal sports medicine.
This would also create a possibility to promote a basal level specialisation for Medical Doctors like a Diploma, which is now open if the European Sports Medicine Specialist is coming. Other participants including the government, sports sciences, physical therapists, insurances and other actors in the field of public health.