Initiative calls on doctors to prescribe exercise
The American Medical Association and American College of Sports Medicine on Nov. 5 called on doctors to prescribe exercise to their patients. Their “Exercise is Medicine” initiative will advise able patients to participate in at least 30 minutes of physical activity and 10 minutes of stretching and light muscle training five days a week.
It includes a Web site with educational materials and toolkits physicians can use in their practices, as well as information for policymakers and the public. Only four in 10 doctors currently talk to their patients about exercise, according to a recent ACSM survey.
“We encourage physicians to talk to their patients about the importance of exercise and to work with them to establish programs they can start today and continue throughout their lives,” said AMA President Ronald Davis, M.D.