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The American College of Sports Medicine launched the initiative Exercise is Medicine,\u00a0calling for physical activity and exercise to be standard parts of disease prevention and\u00a0medical treatment.<\/p>\n
The initiative urges healthcare providers to assess and review patients\u2019 physical activity\u00a0programs at every visit, with office visits that conclude exercise clearance and a\u00a0prescription or referral to a qualified health\/fitness professional. In addition, patients\u00a0are encouraged to begin a conversation with their doctor about physical activity, and to\u00a0learn how to best continue or improve upon their exercise regimens.<\/p>\n
Exercise is crucial to the prevention, management, and treatment of numerous chronic\u00a0conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure and\u00a0other medical problems. Although exercise clearly benefits the appearance of the body,\u00a0the Exercise is Medicine program focuses more on the internal benefits of physical\u00a0activity and how these benefits contribute to the longevity and quality of life. Exercise\u00a0can even do things that regular medications can\u2019t do.<\/p>\n
The dictionary defines a prescription as \u201ca written order, especially by a physician,\u00a0for the preparation and administration of a medicine or other treatment.\u201d<\/em> Most of\u00a0us associate a prescription with a slip of paper that your doctor gives you. You take\u00a0that slip of paper to your local pharmacy and receive medications from the plethora\u00a0of drugs that exist today for just about anything that ails you, from the common cold\u00a0to heart disease. Drugs can eliminate a severe headache, bring relief from seasonal\u00a0allergies, alleviate symptoms and in some instances, even cure illnesses. However,\u00a0the word prescription is not limited to drugs\u2014it applies to exercise as well. Many\u00a0physicians who are knowledgeable in exercise science have begun to prescribe exercise\u00a0routines in conjunction with or even instead of medications for their patients. While\u00a0exercise is a key ingredient in disease prevention, it has also been proven in recent years\u00a0that exercise also can play a major role in the treatment of many ailments that have\u00a0previously been treated with medication alone. How does exercise fit into both overall\u00a0wellness, and curing or controlling various diseases?<\/p>\n Dr. Jeremiah Stamler is an epidemiologist and world-renowned expert on cardiovascular\u00a0disease. He is a major proponent of using diet and exercise in place of medication. In\u00a0an interview a few years ago with Nutrition Action Magazine,<\/em> Dr. Stamler asserted\u00a0that the heart disease epidemic in the United States could virtually be eliminated. He\u00a0maintains that following the \u201cDASH<\/strong>\u201d diet (D<\/strong>ietary A<\/strong>pproaches to S<\/strong>top H<\/strong>ypertension),\u00a0which includes a low sodium intake in conjunction with an adequate exercise program,\u00a0can significantly lower one\u2019s blood pressure and cholesterol. Dr. Stamler also maintains\u00a0that diet, exercise and reduced smoking are enough to cut risk. He states that statin\u00a0(cholesterol- lowering) drugs and blood pressure medications will not end the epidemic\u00a0for the tens of millions of people suffer from the ailments.<\/p>\n These drugs are costly, have side effects and only ameliorate or improve\u2014not cure\u2014the\u00a0underlying problem. Although these drugs are certainly a necessity in many cases, and\u00a0their use outweighs any risk of not taking them, drugs alone are not the answer. Their\u00a0popularity is a result of a society that wants its problems solved by pills. If your doctor\u00a0prescribes medication for you, follow his advice, but at the same time, ask him about\u00a0establishing a comprehensive plan which includes a change in your dietary habits and\u00a0exercise.<\/p>\n Hashem gives us the gift of a healthy body and expects us to do our utmost to maintain\u00a0our health. The pasuk in Parshat Va\u2019Etchanan, \u201cV\u2019nishmartem me\u2019od l\u2019Nafshoseichem\u201d\u00a0clearly states in Chapter Four that a Jew is obligated to take care of his own body. The\u00a0pasuk includes the word \u201cme’od\u201d or “very much.” The Ohr Tzadikim, in his commentary,\u00a0says that this word is included because if one doesn\u2019t take care of himself physically\u00a0and becomes ill, his nefesh\u2014his soul and spirit\u2014will become weak, thus hampering his\u00a0ability to serve Hashem. We can all exercise and be more active in order to be able to\u00a0be healthy both physically and spiritually. Exercise paired with good nutrition is the best\u00a0way to maintain both your physical health and your spiritual well-being.<\/p>\n Diabetes<\/strong><\/p>\n In recent years, the incidence of what is know as type 2, or noninsulin-dependent\u00a0diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), has been steadily increasing. Specifically, Americans have\u00a0been developing diabetes at an alarming rate over the past 10 years, according to a new\u00a0report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 16 million people\u00a0in the United States currently have diabetes\u2014about a third more than had the disease\u00a0in 1990. Only five to ten percent of these cases are insulin-dependent. While increases\u00a0were reported among all adults, the most dramatic increase\u2014a 70 percent jump\u2014was\u00a0seen in the 30-39 age group. Among those ages 40-49, the rate of diabetes increased\u00a0by 40 percent, and it was up 31 percent for those ages 50-59. The increases among the\u00a0younger age groups are especially troubling, researchers say.<\/p>\n The instances of exercise acting to help or cure disease are countless. Let\u2019s look at\u00a0type 2 diabetes, which is frequently manifesting itself in all ages of the population and\u00a0is quickly spinning out of control both in the United States and Israel. Diabetics are at\u00a0risk of developing cardiovascular disease 15 years earlier than the general population,\u00a0according to a study released this past summer by the Institute of Clinical Evaluation\u00a0Sciences in Toronto. Diabetics also are at risk for kidney disease nerve disorder and\u00a0blindness, and are at a particularly high risk for limb-threatening infections. Yet we see\u00a0from a study published through Medscape in June 2006 that a diabetic who performs\u00a0four moderate aerobic sessions and does two to three resistance training sessions per\u00a0week, significantly cuts his risk of cardiovascular disease. A more intense program\u00a0may reduce the need for medication or even eliminate it altogether. Exercise may\u00a0actually prevent this illness from developing in the first place. Active individuals have\u00a0a 50 percent lower risk of ever developing diabetes. If you currently have a borderline\u00a0glucose reading, you can avoid drugs and possibly insulin by beginning an exercise\u00a0program now.<\/p>\n Just a word to the wise: It is important to consult with your physician prior to beginning\u00a0any an exercise program. It is also important to get advice from an exercise specialist on\u00a0how to start and build a well-rounded exercise program that takes into consideration\u00a0your level of fitness, your age and your goals.<\/p>\n My next column will explore the ways in which exercise can help lower your blood\u00a0pressure and cholesterol.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alan Freishtat<\/strong> is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at\u00a002-651-8502<\/a> or 050-555-7175<\/a>, or by email at\u00a0alan@alanfitness.com<\/a> Check out the his web site \u2013www.alanfitness.com<\/a> US Line: 516-568-5027<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The American College of Sports Medicine launched the initiative Exercise is Medicine,\u00a0calling for physical activity and exercise to be standard parts of disease prevention and\u00a0medical treatment. The initiative urges healthcare providers to assess and review patients\u2019 physical activity\u00a0programs at every visit, with office visits that conclude exercise clearance and a\u00a0prescription or referral to a qualified<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":469,"featured_media":38943,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"yoast_head":"\n
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