Exercise and Wellness Behaviors After Spinal Cord Injury: Update on Guidelines and Scientific Evidence 1962

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Location: ROOM: Conference Room 4F >>> DIRECTIONS Fourth Floor >>> From the Main Elevator Bank, proceed left. Room 4F is to the left beyond the Pullman Boardroom.

Corresponding Presenter(s)

Ronald K. Reeves, MD (he/him/his)

Associate Professor of PM&R
Mayo Clinic Department of PM&R
Rochester, MN, United States

Presenter(s)

Lisa A. Beck, APRN, CNS, MS

Assistant Professor of PM&R
Mayo Clinic Department of PM&R
Rochester, MN, United States
Amanda A. Herrmann, PhD (she/her/hers)

Research Investigator
HealthPartners Institute Neuroscience Research Center
St. Paul, MN, United States
Kimberley R. Monden, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Despite advancements in overall U.S. life expectance, individuals with SCI have seen little improvement. Cardiometabolic disease, obesity and diabetes are increasingly common causes of death in this population, driven by dyslipidemia, changes in body compensation, and reduced activity levels. . While emerging research highlights the potential for exercise to mitigate these risks, long-term evidence of its efficacy is lacking. To support healthier outcomes, exercise guidelines for people living with SCI have been developed, yet numerous barriers to exercise persist. This 60-minute symposium will review the guideline development process, examine the current state of exercise science in SCI, and discuss critical research and policy challenges that must be addressed to improve health outcomes in this population.

Learning Objectives:

Highlight the process of guideline development and dissemination in Spinal Cord Medicine
Review and critique the state of the science in relation to the benefits of exercise after SCI
Outline policy and research considerations related to SCI wellness and exercise to be addressed in the decade ahead