ABSTRACT
The increasing life expectancy for many children with complex medical conditions is resulting in a wider range of opportunities, e.g., leisure pursuits, long-distance travel, and jobs that was once unimaginable. The increased survival rate has also brought other medical challenges not usually associated with the original diagnosis, e.g., cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This chapter outlines and discusses the historical and current position of the role of physical activity and fitness in medicine and outlines the associations of these two concepts with health. Whilst the limitations of the current evidence are limited, the relative importance of the topic is discussed and future implications outlined. These implications include greater investment in physical activity through the healthcare system, the increased education of clinical staff about physical activity and health, as well as a call to learn important lessons from other chronic diseases and translate them into paediatric respiratory disease and physical activity initiatives.
