Your academic and scientific background spans several areas within sports and health sciences. Which moments or decisions were particularly significant in shaping your research path?
Throughout my academic and scientific journey, there have been several defining moments that helped shape my trajectory. My initial choice to pursue a degree in Physical Education and Sport marked the starting point of a path deeply rooted in the connection between science, health, and sport practice. During my master’s degree in Recreation and Leisure and later in my PhD in Sport Sciences, I focused on studying physical activity as a tool to promote health, with a particular emphasis on childhood obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. While undertaking my master’s, I had the opportunity to participate in a project led by Dr Jorge Mota, through the PRAXIS XXI Programme – a strategic initiative for funding science and technology in Portugal aimed at strengthening national scientific and technological capacity, promoting advanced training and research infrastructure development. I was involved in a major project where a team of researchers assessed physical activity levels, physical fitness, and clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and young people, involving a sample of over 2,000 participants in the Greater Porto area. The biggest challenge during this phase was balancing my responsibilities as a permanent teacher in a school with the demands of such a large-scale project. However, this experience only deepened my interest in research and this field of study. A pivotal moment came when a teaching position opened at the Faculty of Sport of the University of Porto (FADEUP), which I applied for and was offered. Taking it required major decisions – I left my permanent teaching post and fully embraced an academic career. My integration into the Research Centre for Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL) was also a key milestone in my career, offering a broader and more sustainable vision of how to conduct research within an academic context.

Your research has placed significant focus on prescribing physical exercise for conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. What have been the main challenges and key lessons when working at this intersection of exercise and preventive medicine?
One of the main challenges has been the need to tailor interventions to the clinical and functional specifics of each condition. In type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypertension, prescribing exercise requires not only an in-depth understanding of pathophysiology but also a sensitivity to personalise programmes according to comorbidities, physical limitations and individual motivations. Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams – including doctors, nutritionists and psychologists – has been essential to ensure safe and effective interventions. A key takeaway has been the measurable impact of exercise as a "medicine", with positive effects on metabolic and cardiovascular markers, as well as on quality of life. However, sustained adherence from participants remains a challenge, highlighting the need for education, regular follow-up and effective behavioural strategies. Teaching and collaborating with current and future doctors and nutritionists has shown me how vital it is to promote physical activity and exercise literacy in clinical fields to cement this preventive approach. Ultimately, the success of these projects lies in the integration of science, clinical practice, and public health policies focused on promoting health.

You’ve also been actively involved in projects working with patients with major depression and cancer. In these contexts, how can exercise serve as an effective therapeutic tool? Is there still resistance within the clinical community to its systematic implementation?
Exercise has proven to be a highly effective therapeutic tool in contexts such as major depression and cancer, with benefits far beyond the physical realm. In the case of major depression, our studies show significant improvements in mood, self-esteem, sleep regulation and reduction of depressive symptoms – particularly when the exercise is supervised and structured. In fact, in studies led by Dr Jorge Mota-Pereira, a psychiatrist whose PhD I had the privilege of supervising, clear improvements were observed in patients with major depression – with some even returning to active life after long periods of work absence. Despite this, there is still some resistance in the clinical field to systematically implementing this approach. This stems partly from the lack of training many healthcare professionals have in exercise prescription, a lack of integrated clinical protocols, and misconceptions that exercise is risky or ineffective during vulnerable stages of illness. Collaborating with colleagues from the Faculties of Medicine and Nutrition has been fundamental in dismantling these misconceptions and promoting greater clinical literacy around exercise. The future lies in reinforcing this interdisciplinary training and integrating exercise specialists into healthcare teams, so that exercise is viewed – and used – as a first-line intervention in these contexts.

Considering your long-standing research on the impact of exercise programmes in clinical settings, which strategies have proven most effective? And what barriers still hinder their practical application?
Over the years, it's become clear that the most effective strategies in clinical exercise programmes are built on three pillars: personalisation, continuous monitoring and interdisciplinary integration. Programmes tailored to the specific needs of each condition – with adjusted intensity and duration – show higher adherence and efficacy. Regular monitoring, whether through supervised sessions or tools like accelerometers, allows us to fine-tune interventions and maintain motivation. Crucially, coordination among healthcare professionals – including doctors, exercise physiologists, nutritionists and psychologists – ensures a safe, integrated approach. Despite these advances, several barriers remain. The first is structural: many healthcare services still don’t formally include exercise as a therapeutic practice. Lack of funding, trained professionals and time during consultations limits its routine prescription. The second is cultural: there is still a limited perception – among both professionals and patients – of the benefits of exercise as a treatment. Finally, social and individual barriers (such as low health literacy, lack of motivation, fear, or logistical difficulties) also hinder adherence. Overcoming these limitations requires more than scientific evidence – it calls for ambitious public health policies, cross-sector training and environments that facilitate regular exercise.

Your school-based research has deepened our understanding of physical activity habits among children and young people. Which findings surprised you most, and what urgent actions should be taken in this area?
School-based research has revealed data that, while concerning, has been essential in grasping the scope of the issue. One of the most surprising findings was that, even with regular PE classes, many children and young people still fail to meet the recommended daily levels of physical activity. We also observed high levels of sedentary behaviour outside school – especially excessive screen time and low participation in active extracurricular activities. Another striking finding was the strong link between socioeconomic status and physical activity levels: children from more disadvantaged backgrounds showed lower fitness levels, higher obesity rates, and less access to organised sports. These results reinforce the idea that schools, as inclusive spaces, should play a more active and structured role in health promotion. Urgent actions include: (1) Increasing the number and improving the quality of PE lessons; (2) Integrating physical activity throughout the school day (active breaks, active transport, structured playtime); (3) Training teachers and decision-makers to adopt an interdisciplinary, evidence-based approach; and (4) Investing in public policies that reduce inequality in sports access. Schools must become more than places of academic learning – they must be spaces of health. Another long-standing surprise has been the lack of regular physical education in higher education, despite efforts to promote activity among young people at school age. While universities do offer sports activities, including them as a compulsory part of the curriculum could help boost health literacy and regular exercise among university students.

You’ve established many collaborations with colleagues in other fields, such as medicine and nutrition. What impact has this cross-disciplinary work had on your research and on the recognition of exercise as a health tool?
Collaboration with other faculties at the University of Porto – particularly Medicine and Nutrition – has been fundamental in strengthening the role of exercise as both a therapeutic and preventive tool. This cross-disciplinary approach has allowed me to broaden the reach of my work across diverse audiences and contexts and to promote a more integrated and realistic view of health, in which exercise is central to clinical practice. Supporting future doctors and nutritionists has been especially impactful, as it helps train professionals who are more aware of the value of physical activity in preventing and managing chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and even cancer. This direct engagement has also helped dispel myths around the risks of exercise for clinically vulnerable populations, replacing them with evidence-based knowledge of its measurable benefits. Moreover, such collaborations have facilitated research development and helped legitimise the role of the exercise specialist in clinical settings – reinforcing their place in multidisciplinary teams and public health policies.

Research into the impact of physical activity on health seems to be gaining renewed momentum, driven by data and interdisciplinary approaches. What excites you most about the future of research in this field?
What excites me most is the increasing appreciation for interdisciplinary approaches, coupled with improvements in data quality and integration. We’re in a moment where we can combine objective metrics (like accelerometry, physiological sensors, and environmental data) with behavioural and psychosocial variables – enabling a more holistic understanding of how exercise impacts lifelong health. A particularly exciting example is the European project SmartCHANGE, in which I’m part of the consortium. Funded with around €4 million under Horizon Europe, the project uses artificial intelligence to assess long-term health risks and develop personalised behaviour change strategies for children and young people. It’s an innovative approach linking data science, public health, and physical activity promotion, with huge potential for preventive impact. It’s also motivating to see exercise being recognised as a "non-pharmacological medication" with validated applications in complex clinical settings, from metabolic conditions to mental health. International research networks like DE-PASS and SmartCHANGE are key to generating strong, transferable evidence that can influence public policy. The future of research in this field is therefore both a challenge and an opportunity: to make exercise a structured, effective, and accessible component of health and education systems.

As someone helping shape the next generation of researchers and health professionals, what key advice or principles do you always make a point of passing on?
There are three core principles that I always try to share. The first is the social relevance of research. The science we produce should have real impact on people’s lives – whether in prevention, treatment, or improving quality of life. I encourage students to always keep the purpose of their research in mind and connect it with the clinical, school, or community contexts where it can generate change. The second is the importance of interdisciplinarity and collaboration. Health challenges are complex and require constant dialogue between fields – exercise, medicine, nutrition, psychology and data science. Projects like SmartCHANGE and DE-PASS show how powerful cooperation can be in developing innovative, scalable and evidence-based solutions. The third is ethics and scientific rigour. In an age where data is abundant, it’s essential to analyse it critically and responsibly. I try to instil curiosity, critical thinking and scientific humility in new generations.

You can find more information on the professor and researcher here.