LMAP Podcast

Medical students discuss the benefits of integrating physical activity with studying. They suggest listening to medical podcasts while exercising and using standing desks. They also propose allocating time for medical students to be involved in activities that improve patient mobility. They mention the potential for adding dedicated exercise hours but raise concerns about fairness and accessibility. Good morning and welcome to our podcast. Today we will be exploring whether, as medical students, it's possible to integrate physical activity in our day-to-day learning. Regular physical activity is crucial for maintaining both physical and mental health, and it improves cognitive function, which makes it a powerful ally, allowing students to excel academically. Despite these benefits, we often find it challenging to balance any exercise with our demanding study schedules. Rather than viewing physical activity and studying as competing demands, we propose a new approach, integrating the two. I am joined here by Lazarus. Do you have any ideas to combine the two? Yes, and actually some of them are quite simple, but very time efficient. Something I have been doing myself is listening to medical podcasts while going for a walk, or even a light jog. There's a great podcast I've been listening to called A to Easy, made by former ICSM medical students, post-graduation, and is tailored for medical students. Now, I know what you may be thinking. How effective is it to memorise something while being physically active? Well, a study carried out in the United States assessed the effectiveness of studying when coupled with exercise, and the results were very promising. Physically active young adults were given a set of words to memorise, without, during, or after cycling, and then tried to recall as many of them after 24 hours. The results showed that exercise had no negative effects on memorisation, and that simultaneous memorisation of exercise allowed for better recall of words when compared to memorisation after or without exercise. So, you don't have to worry about whether combining exercise and studying is going to impair your learning, because not only won't, but it will also allow you to feel better and still hit your studying goals. Thanks Lazarus. Now, Luca, what other ways could studying and physical activity be merged? Well, one possibility which has become more popular over recent years is the use of standing desks while studying. Studies have shown that although work performance remains the same whether you're standing or sitting, standing desks provide an opportunity for increased physiological benefits. Is just standing enough physical activity? Well, you can do some stretching, or you can use treadmill desks, which are even better, leading to the greatest improvement in health outcomes, such as postprandial glucose, HDL cholesterol, and anthropometrics. Overall, it's important to remember to switch between standing and sitting while studying to avoid negative health outcomes associated with this sedentary lifestyle. Thank you, Luca. Now, Kieran, can you explain to us another way both physical activity and learning can coincide? Thanks, Kieran. Now, Lisa, do you think there are ways Imperium could include more physical activity into the medical course? Yes, I think on a course-wide level, one way would be by allocating time to be involved with groups that improve patient mobility. For example, having time set aside once or twice a month to help at a dancing for dementia group, or spending an afternoon at Imperial Sports and Exercise Medicine Clinic, showing patients how to carry out exercises with healthcare professionals, would allow for medical students to apply their learning and thus combine study and physical activity. One study done in Virginia, where medical students helped at a musculoskeletal clinic, found that there was significant improvement in student confidence with musculoskeletal exam skills, and patients said there was significant improvement in pain and mobility. Other ways of implementing some strategies we talked about earlier would be to install incentive on the treadmills in EPHOS, Imperial's gym, so students could re-watch lectures while exercising. This podcast has outlined the different ways in which both Imperial and the wider world provide opportunities to exercise for medical students. Furthermore, there's a lot more advances that can be added to these systems. For example, dedicated exercise hours for all students, in which some sort of physical activity is compulsory. This was conducted in a study, this was conducted in a study by Gustavo Tova, which showed the increasing benefit of a 54-hour physical activity curriculum in Colombian medical students. But the question I have for you guys is, is it fair to make it compulsory to add extra hours to the already rigorous schedule of a medical student for the sake of physical activity? Does this exclude those with medical conditions who are unable to exercise? Thank you for listening to our podcast.