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Prescriptions
of exercise given out by Nanaimo doctors are becoming more popular in
the battle to try prevent and treat a variety of illnesses.
The
majority of Canadians still do not value the benefits of 30 minutes of
exercise per day, five days a week, according to Dr. Derek Poteryko of
Nanaimo. In the last 12 months, the local doctor estimates he has
written 250 prescriptions for exercise on special prescription pads for
health issued by the Ministry of Health.
To highlight the
importance to fit exercise into a daily routine and how simple it can
be, Poteryko is encouraging the community to join him and other Nanaimo
health care professionals for the annual Walk with Your Doc event at
Maffeo-Sutton Park at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
The Canadian Physical
Activity Guidelines states children need at least 60 minutes of physical
activity per day and adults 150 minutes per week. A 2011 Statistics
Canada reports said only 15 per cent of Canadians meet the minimum
recommended standard of exercise each week. The guide-lines for adults
were achieved by 17 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women, while the
youth guidelines were met by just nine per cent of boys and four per
cent of girls.
"It's such a simple manoeuvre," said Poteryko of
the ability incorporate 30 minutes of activity into a daily routine.
"But it's something we as a society still do not value as much as we
should."
Poteryko sites a nine-minute animated YouTube video by Dr. Mike Evans
called 23 and 1/2 hours: What is the best thing we can do, as a perfect
example of the role exercise plays in everyone's health. It challenges
viewers to limit sitting and sleeping to only 23-and-a-half hours of
their day, an interesting alternative to encouraging people to move
their bodies for 30 minutes.
To prescribe exercise as medicine was
inspired by researchers in New Zealand. Since 2003, they've published
studies in medical journals showing how doctors' prescriptions for
exercise in that country can increase physical activity in adults by 10
per cent for at least a year.
"It's such a weird concept, but
there's good evidence that exercise is medicine," said Poteryko. Walk
with Your Doc (a half hour walk) takes place at Maffeo-Sutton Park at 11
a.m. on Saturday. There will be 100 random prizes for participants and
free pedometers. Frontrunners will also have free giveaways.
Source.
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Exercise prescription is the referral of patients to exercise programs. The term is also used to describe the development of exercise programs.
Patient Referral
In the United Kingdom there is a scheme called "Exercise on
prescription" in which doctors are able to prescribe exercise to those
with conditions that benefit from it, such as asthma, depression or obesity.
The initiative particularly aimed to lower the rate of heart disease.
National standards for such initiatives from doctors were established by the Department of Health
in 2001.
Exercise on prescription aims to prevent deterioration of
conditions, and views exercise as a preventative health measure.
Fitness
classes or a course at the local gym are available on prescription at a
reduced rate to people who might benefit from them.
It aims to make it
easier for people to follow their doctors' advice about taking more
exercise or losing weight.[1]
Such preventative measures hope to lead to savings for the National Health Service.[2]
Researchers in New Zealand have also discussed the benefits of exercise referral by medical practitioners there.[3]
In New Zealand it is known as a green prescription, while in the United States a similar initiative is known as Exercise is Medicine.
Exercise Program Development
Exercise prescription is designed to modulate acute exercise
programming variables to create the adaptations desired by the
individual or sport.
With aerobic exercise prescription, the type of exercise, duration of exercise, frequency, and duration is adjusted.
For resistance exercise prescription, the type of exercise, total session volume, rest period, frequency, and intensity are determined. [4]
Prescription of stretching and other activities is also commonly seen.
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