Health Related Fitness As A Prescription For Disease

Health related fitness and exercise are becoming more widely used to prevent and treat the diseases that are most prevalent in the United States, including:

• coronary artery disease

• stroke

• hypertension

• diabetes

• arthritis

• osteoporosis

• high cholesterol

• obesity

• depression

• cancer

Take A Walk And Call Me In The Morning

When we think of "medicine," we often think of a drug, something to be taken by mouth or injection. Although not "taken" but "done," an exercise prescription, and its health related fitness, is much like a drug prescription.

Medical students spend a year learning about pharmacology and receive instruction on drug prescribing throughout their training. On the other hand, medical students are not instructed on how to prescribe exercise, the best medicine of all. They know that health related fitness is essential but they aren't specifically trained on how to help people get these benefits.

The ability of exercise to restore function to organs, muscles, joints, and bones is not shared by drugs or surgery.

Specific Benefits

Let's examine the benefits of health related fitness and exercise therapy for the common serious diseases.

Coronary artery disease - Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the number one killer, responsible for 2,000 deaths in the United States each day.

Exercise combined with diet therapy can reverse established heart disease. Furthermore, exercise improves heart function, reduces several coronary risk factors and improves survival.

Strokes - Exercise is essential for restoring function following a stroke-- a benefit not shared by drugs or surgery.

Hypertension - Substantial evidence shows that exercise is an effective treatment for mild and moderate high blood pressure and is a useful addition for the treatment of severe hypertension. Many patients who follow a regular, specifically prescribed aerobic exercise program can reduce their blood pressure without taking drugs.

Diabetes - Exercise can prevent or delay the serious complications of diabetes. It increases insulin effectiveness and the metabolism of sugar, thereby reducing the insulin requirement, which in turn reduces the risk of vascular disease.

Arthritis - In patients who have rheumatoid or degenerative arthritis, exercise improves endurance, strengthens muscles, and increases joint flexibility and range of motion. These, of course, are benefits that drugs or surgery cannot achieve.

Osteoporosis - Osteoporosis affects 20 to 24 million postmenopausal American women and an unknown number of men over the age of 80. Research indicates that regular exercise can prevent and control the disease.

For more detailed information you can go to Osteopenia

High Cholesterol - Regular exercise reduces total cholesterol and triglyceride levels and raises HDL cholesterol.

Obesity - Amount of body fat is a useful indicator of health and fitness, as well as an early warning signal of many serious diseases. Daily, lifelong exercise is an essential strategy for achieving and maintaining optimal weight. Diet, though essential, cannot be relied on alone for successful weight loss and maintenance.

Depression - Psychologists have observed that walking or running has both physiologic and psychological benefits for people who are depressed. These forms of exercise reduce depression and anxiety, increase feelings of well-being, improve tolerance to everyday stress, and improve the self-image of depressed patients. Furthermore, exercise stimulates the release of the "feel good" hormones (endorphins).

Cancer - There is evidence that physical activity reduces the risk for certain kinds of cancer including colon and breast cancer.

A General Prescription

The major form of the exercise must be aerobic (walking, running, cycling, swimming, or cross-country skiing). The choice of exercise should be guided by individual preference and previous experience. Walking and running are most often recommended because they do not require special training or skills. They are inexpensive, readily available, safe, and suitable for doing alone or with others.