What if there was one prescription that could prevent and treat dozens of diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity? Would you prescribe it to your patients? Certainly!
We would like to introduce you to Exercise is Medicine™, an initiative launched by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Medical Association (AMA). Guiding principles for the program have been designed to help improve the health and well-being of our nation through a regular physical activity prescription from doctors and other healthcare providers. They are as follows:
Exercise and physical activity are important to health and the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases;
More should be done to address physical activity and exercise in healthcare settings and
Encouragement of ACSM's effort to bring a greater focus on physical activity and exercise in healthcare settings.
To encourage your patients to engage in physical activity, the Exercise is Medicine™ initiative has developed a Pre-Participation Checklist. It takes only a few minutes for them to fill out. If they answer "yes" to any of the items, they need a medical opinion about the type of exercise that is safe and appropriate for them before they start a program.
To help patients choose appropriate regimens, Exercise is Medicine™ has provided a series of videos called "Keys to Exercise," which would be useful to share with your patients. Click on the following thumbnails.
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Exercise and Your Health
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Aerobic Exercise: The Basics
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Aerobic Exercise: Duration and Frequency
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Aerobic Exercise: Intensity
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Flexibility
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Home Gym on a Shoe String