Exercise as Medicine: Exploring Doctors’ Advocacy for Physical Activity

Exercise is medicine EIM is a global health imitative that began in the US in 2007 and resulted from the collaboration between the American Medical Association and the American College of Sports Medicine The EIM initiative has three primary aims to 1 encourage clinicians to evaluate their patients physical Activity PA level at each The most commonly cited reason that physicians list for not including physical Activity counseling in their practice is a lack of time 24 With many competing demands forced upon todays physicians as well as the fact that most physicians work in a productivitybased health care model that rewards physicians for seeing more patients the This association between physical Activity and health persists in virtually every subgroup of the population regardless of age sex

race or environmental condition2 There is clear scientific evidence proving the benefit of regular physical Activity on both the primary and secondary prevention of diabetes hypertension cancer particularly Three major themes were identified 1 the hospital visit represented an opportunity for behavior change that is not to be missed 2 surgeons were influential in promoting PA change contemplation and 3 patients welcomed a communication style that promoted autonomyThis is one part of growing initiatives like Exercise is Medicine that advocate for the role of exercise and encourage doctors to prescribe it Similarly the Prescription to Get Active program in Method PubMed Scopus Science Direct and Cochrane reviews were reviewed using the terms exercise prescription exercise prescribing family

practice general practice adults and physical Activity prescribing Results After screening by title abstract and full paper 23 studies were selected for inclusionPhysical Activity and exercise have significant positive effects in preventing or alleviating mental illness including depressive symptoms and anxiety or stressrelated disease In conclusion sports can be evolving if personal capacities social situation and biological and psychological maturation are taken into accountWork with the patient and make selfset targets with a target of 10000 steps per day being an achievable target longer term Timing Walking should take 30 mins per day if done when commuting to work He should aim to walk between 90120 mins per week Resistance workouts should take 30 mins at moderate intensity