Abstract

Exercise medicine has emerged as an important component of preventive and therapeutic healthcare, with growing evidence supporting its role in improving physical, cognitive, and mental health outcomes. In epilepsy, however, participation in physical activity and sports remains significantly lower than in the general population, despite increasing evidence of its safety and benefits. Persistent misconceptions about exercise-induced seizure exacerbation and injury continue to limit engagement among people with epilepsy.
This presentation will examine current evidence on how physical activity and exercise serve as complementary and integrative therapeutic strategies for managing epilepsy. It will highlight the biological, clinical, and psychosocial mechanisms through which exercise improves health outcomes and explores practical approaches to translating evidence into clinical practice. Drawing on preclinical and clinical findings, the presentation will review the effects of exercise on epileptogenesis, seizure susceptibility, seizure frequency, and neuroprotection. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of exercise in mitigating common epilepsy-related comorbidities, including cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and reduced quality of life. Current recommendations, including guidance from the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), will be discussed alongside emerging evidence supporting individualized exercise prescriptions for people with epilepsy.
Exercise is a low-cost, accessible, and patient-centered intervention that closely aligns with the principles of traditional, complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine.
This session will provide clinicians, researchers, and allied health professionals with an evidence-based framework for integrating exercise medicine into comprehensive epilepsy care. Strategies to overcome barriers to participation and innovative research methodologies to advance the field will also be presented, supporting the integration of exercise as a key component of holistic epilepsy management.