Physical exercise—it’s still the best medicine around
If you went to a health care provider and were given a prescription for a medication the provider stated was the best medicine on the market if taken as prescribed, would you get it filled and follow the instructions?
If the most up-to-date research confirmed that the prescription you received was the best medicine you could take for most health issues, would you be interested and want to know more?
Can you guess what that medicine is? Does it come in a bottle? Is it expensive? Do you need a prescription from a medical provider? The answers are all No!
Hint: it begins and ends with the letter “e.” It’s EXERCISE. It is free, no prescription needed, and can work for almost anyone at any fitness level. And the best news—it is recommended for both prevention and treatment for many health conditions.
According to Robert Butler, National Institute on Aging, “If exercise could be packaged in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.” Many people consider lifestyle changes to improve their lives for the better in the New Year. Some make the well-known New Year’s Resolutions. Whether you make resolutions or not, focusing on improving our own quality of life is best for ourselves and our loved ones.
Exercise is the best medicine. Using the medicine analogy, consider the Indications and Usage of Exercise as a Drug prescribed by a medical provider would include:
■ Prevent obesity and mitigate its risks
■ Reduce development and improve management of diabetes
■ Prevent and treat heart disease
■ Lower risk of cancer (breast and colon)
■ Treatment of hypertension
■ Prevent osteoporosis and fractures
■ Manage depression and anxiety
■ Reduce risk of dementia
■ Recreational uses
■ Decrease risk of premature death Continuing with the medicine analogy, Side effects: decreased blood pressure, pulse rate and blood sugar; stronger muscles and bones, weight loss; improved mood, confidence, self-esteem and concentration; improved bowel and sleep habits; looking and feeling better.
Adverse reactions: sweating, injury (overdose), sudden death (extremely rare).
Administration: Self-administer or with others; start off slowly, add minutes and intensity. Change formulations to decrease boredom and improve compliance. Take outdoors or indoors any time of day.
If exercise was prescribed as a prescription drug, it might be written like this:
■ Generic name: Physical activity
■ Other brand names: walking, jogging, hiking, swimming, aerobics, biking, gardening, tennis, basketball, soccer and more
■ Dosage: optimum 150 minutes per week in adults; 60 minutes per day in children has proven efficacy. Even low doses have been shown to have benefit. Advise to start with low dose and advance as tolerated.
Even low doses of exercise are beneficial! To begin your medication plan, start exercising—walking for a few minutes throughout the day inside or out will help you get started. Only a total of 30 minutes for five days a week will meet the minimum requirements with good results. Let’s take our medicine and exercise regularly for good health!