Exercise is the Best Medicine
Only one medicine is so powerful it can improve overall health and help reduce the risk of dozens of conditions from diabetes to hypertension: Exercise. But to reap the benefits, this “medicine” must be taken as directed. To help make it easier for consumers to stick to their daily dose of activity, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company today launched the Exercise is Medicine Public Toolkit patient program. This “medicine cabinet” of physical activity tools will help consumers plan their exercise regimen, track it and stick to it more easily.
Exercise is Medicine was initially introduced to physicians nationwide in 2007 with a goal of increasing patient-physician dialogue around the importance of physical fitness.
“Powerful medicine only works if it is taken as prescribed, and since the advent of Exercise is Medicine we have reached out to thousands of physicians with this message. Now, our goal is to make sure patients have the tools they need to successfully fill their prescriptions for exercise,” said Robert E. Sallis, M.D., immediate past president of the American College of Sports Medicine and chair of Exercise is Medicine. “The key to a healthy weight is simple arithmetic – calories in cannot exceed calories out. Physical activity helps boost the ‘calories out’ side of the equation.”
“Exercise is Medicine encourages consumers to speak with their physicians about an appropriate level of exercise to help achieve and maintain good health. A healthy lifestyle that includes a sensible, balanced diet combined with regular physical activity is an essential ‘prescription’ for balanced living that can include all foods and beverages,” said Celeste Bottorff, Vice President, Living Well, Coca-Cola North America. “Exercise is Medicine is one of the many programs The Coca-Cola Company is proud to support. With ACSM, we are helping to raise the publics’ awareness of the health benefits of exercise.”
Exercise is Medicine encourages doctors to assess and review every patient’s physical activity levels at each checkup, the same way other vital signs like blood pressure and cholesterol are recorded. Doctors are urged to use the prescription pad to order daily exercise. For sedentary patients who know they need to get off the couch, following “doctor’s orders” is an easy way for them to stick to their exercise routines. The free downloadable “Public Toolkit,” available at www.exerciseismedicine.org, includes step-by-step instructions for consumers to work with a health care provider to determine the right dose of exercise. Patients can use the kit’s “Dear Health Care Professional” letter to ask their doctor to review and record their physical activity as part of a comprehensive visit.