Science & Technology Society & Culture

Exercise and health expert to speak on benefits of physical activity in adults

Buchner
David Buchner

Athens, Ga. – Dr. David Buchner, a nationally recognized scholar in physical activity in adults, will deliver the annual Clifford Lewis Scholar Lecture March 19 at 4 p.m. in Masters Hall of the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

Buchner, the Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor in Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will present a lecture titled, “The Health Benefits of Short Bouts of Physical Activity in Adults.” The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will be held in the Pecan Tree Galleria at 3:30 p.m.

Buchner’s research mainly focuses on the role of physical activity and aging. His more recent work also includes physical activity in the work place. His research uses community-level approaches to chronic disease prevention, and encompasses environmental and policy interventions to promote physical activity.

From 1999-2008, Buchner, a medical doctor, was chief of the Physical Activity and Health Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During that time, he participated in several research studies focusing on environmental determinants of physical activity behavior, the role of financial incentives in promoting walking in older adults, and the cost-effectiveness of community-level interventions to promote physical activity. He also supervised systematic reviews of the health effects of physical activity in all age groups and chaired the writing group for the evidence-based guidebook, “2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans,” published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The lecture is sponsored by the UGA College of Education’s department of kinesiology in honor of the late associate dean and physical education professor Clifford Lewis.