A Review of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Students' Metaphorical Perceptions of Exercise

This study aimed to investigate the metaphorical perceptions of the students of the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation regarding exercise.

The study was designed as a phenomenological case study, following the qualitative research method; it included 180 students from the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. The students were asked to complete the sentence, "Exercise is like…; because…" to gain insight into their perception of exercise.

Students produced 180 metaphors, which were grouped into 13 different categories. Students most frequently compared exercise to the notions of water, reading, therapy, air, and medicine. The categories with the highest number of metaphors included "happiness and soothing," "psychological impact," "labour, care, and continuity," and "valuable." The metaphors suggested by the students of the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation toward exercise were positive; however, they defined exercise as a challenging activity that requires effort and continuity.

Most students included in the study used positive metaphors about exercise. A few students expressed negative sentiments. Investigating the perceptions of physiotherapy students on exercise beginning from their school years can provide a reference for adopting a better quality and holistic exercise approach, including teaching about and training on exercise, thereby enhancing their future role in developing exercise prescriptions and improving exercise adherence.