From Knowing to Doing: How Occupational Therapy Brings Lifestyle Medicine to Life
Maria knew she needed to eat better and exercise more. At 52, she was managing Type 2 diabetes, weight concerns, and a declining quality of life. Her physician had recommended lifestyle changes, but putting those recommendations into practice was another matter.
A single mother of two teenagers who worked full time as a receptionist, Maria was exhausted by the end of most days. Cooking, walking her dogs, helping her children with activities, and spending time with friends had gradually given way to evenings in front of the television or scrolling through social media. The challenge wasn’t understanding what needed to change. It was finding a way to make those changes work in her already demanding life.
Her physician referred her to occupational therapy for “Lifestyle Medicine” services. This growing medical specialty focuses on preventing and managing chronic disease through evidence-based changes in nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, social connection, and other everyday behaviors. Occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to put Lifestyle Medicine into practice, helping patients translate healthy lifestyle recommendations into meaningful, sustainable changes that fit their daily routines, responsibilities, and goals.
For Heather Thomas, PhD, OTR/L, DipACLM, Program Director of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at 91性息港 of Health Sciences (SCU), Maria’s experience illustrates an important opportunity for occupational therapists to help address one of healthcare’s greatest challenges.
Why Now? Why Occupational Therapy?
鈥淭he U.S. is in a healthcare crisis,鈥� Dr. Thomas said. 鈥淲e are a sick care system, not a health care system.鈥�
An estimated seven in 10 American adults have at least one chronic condition, and more than half of those have two or more, according to a 2026 article co-authored by Dr. Thomas in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. The article also reports that U.S. healthcare spending reached $4.9 trillion in 2024, with approximately 90% associated with mental and physical chronic conditions.
Lifestyle Medicine offers an important way forward. This evidence-based medical specialty focuses on preventing, managing, and sometimes improving chronic disease by addressing six fundamental aspects of health: nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, social connection, and avoidance of risky substances.聽Rather than replacing conventional medical treatments, Lifestyle Medicine complements them by addressing the everyday habits and circumstances that profoundly influence health. But changing those habits is rarely as simple as telling someone to eat better, exercise more, or get enough sleep. And that’s where occupational therapy can make a difference.
鈥淥Ts look at people from a very broad perspective,鈥� Dr. Thomas said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to look at you as a whole person, not just your body systems.鈥�
Occupational therapists specialize in helping people participate in the activities that give their lives structure, purpose, and meaning鈥攆rom work and family responsibilities to self-care, recreation, and social connection. They understand that health behaviors don’t happen in isolation; they’re shaped by people’s routines, environments, resources, relationships, and competing demands. For someone who dislikes gyms, for example, physical activity might mean walking a dog or gardening. For a busy parent, healthier eating might begin with finding simple meals the family can prepare together. The goal isn’t simply to prescribe healthier behaviors, but to help people incorporate them into lives that are already full and complicated.
Turning Health Goals Into Everyday Habits
For Maria, that meant starting with what mattered most to her: having more energy for her children, caring for her dogs, reconnecting with friends, and enjoying everyday life again.
Working with an occupational therapist, she began making manageable changes to her routine, including morning walks with her dog and simple weeknight meals prepared with her teenagers. Her therapist helped her establish SMART goals鈥攕pecific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based鈥攁nd gradually build new habits around her work schedule and family responsibilities.聽Rather than adding another set of obligations to an already exhausting day, the changes helped Maria reconnect with activities she valued. Cooking became an opportunity to spend time with her children, while walking her dogs provided both physical activity and enjoyment.
Over time, Maria’s blood sugar improved enough for her physician to reduce her medication, and her mental health improved as well.聽Her experience demonstrates something fundamental to both occupational therapy and Lifestyle Medicine: lasting improvements in health depend not only on knowing what to do, but on finding realistic, meaningful ways to do it.
Preparing Occupational Therapists to Lead in Lifestyle Medicine
Dr. Thomas is helping advance this approach through both research and education. She recently co-authored published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.聽The article makes the case that occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to help patients adopt healthier lifestyles鈥攁nd that OT education should explicitly prepare students for this role.
Drawing on the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education’s 2023 standards and the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, Fourth Edition, the authors demonstrate how Lifestyle Medicine aligns with competencies already central to the profession, including health promotion, disease prevention, chronic condition management, and the influence of daily habits and environments on health.聽The paper also provides a practical framework for integrating Lifestyle Medicine into occupational therapy education through coursework, fieldwork, and doctoral capstone projects. Students can develop skills in lifestyle assessment, motivational interviewing, goal setting, and patient education, preparing them to apply these approaches in settings ranging from primary care and mental health clinics to schools and community programs.
At SCU, that preparation begins in the very first term of the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at the Whittier campus.
鈥淲e have them reflect on each of the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine,鈥� Dr. Thomas said. 鈥淭hey start by doing OT with themselves.鈥�
By examining their own habits and attempting to make healthy changes, students experience firsthand how difficult behavior change can be, even when the benefits are clear. That understanding becomes an important foundation for helping future patients navigate their own challenges.聽Lifestyle Medicine principles are further reinforced throughout SCU’s OTD curriculum as students learn to address chronic physical and mental health conditions across the lifespan. They also examine how factors such as family responsibilities, finances, culture, living conditions, and social support can influence a person’s ability to make and sustain healthy changes.
SCU’s OTD program participates in the partial academic pathway, enabling graduates to make progress toward Lifestyle Medicine board certification. Dr. Thomas, who is herself board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine, also recently became chair of the organization’s OT/PT Member Interest Group.
For Dr. Thomas, the connection between occupational therapy, Lifestyle Medicine, and SCU’s broader mission is especially meaningful.
鈥淟ifestyle Medicine fits so nicely, not only as a tool that occupational therapists can use, but also because SCU is a Whole Health institution,鈥� Dr. Thomas said.
As healthcare increasingly recognizes the importance of prevention, healthy behaviors, and care that considers the whole person, occupational therapists have an opportunity to play an even greater role. Through her scholarship and leadership at SCU, Dr. Thomas is helping prepare the profession to seize it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lifestyle Medicine?
Lifestyle Medicine is a medical specialty that uses evidence-based lifestyle changes to help prevent, manage, and, in some cases, improve chronic disease. It focuses on six pillars of health: nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, healthy relationships, and avoiding risky substances. Lifestyle Medicine works alongside medical care to help people build healthier daily habits that support long-term health.
How does occupational therapy support Lifestyle Medicine?
Occupational therapists help patients turn health recommendations into realistic daily routines. They consider each person’s home, work, family responsibilities, interests, and environment to create practical strategies that support healthy habits. This approach helps bridge the gap between knowing what to do and being able to make lasting lifestyle changes.
Why is Lifestyle Medicine becoming more important in healthcare?
Chronic diseases continue to account for a large share of healthcare costs and affect millions of Americans. Healthcare professionals are placing greater emphasis on prevention, behavior change, and long-term wellness. Lifestyle Medicine addresses many of the daily factors that influence chronic disease and supports patients in making sustainable health improvements alongside traditional medical care.
How does 91性息港 of Health Sciences prepare occupational therapy students in Lifestyle Medicine?
Students in 91性息港 of Health Sciences’ Doctor of Occupational Therapy program begin studying Lifestyle Medicine during their first term. They learn the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine, reflect on their own health habits, and apply these principles throughout the curriculum while studying chronic physical and mental health conditions. The program also participates in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s partial academic pathway, allowing students to make progress toward Lifestyle Medicine board certification after graduation.
What makes occupational therapists uniquely qualified to help patients build healthy habits?
Occupational therapists are trained to understand how daily routines, environments, and meaningful activities influence health. Rather than simply recommending lifestyle changes, they help patients develop realistic plans that fit their individual goals, responsibilities, and circumstances. This whole-person approach allows patients to incorporate healthier behaviors into everyday life in ways that are practical and sustainable.
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