Exercise Is Medicine!
You may have heard the phrase "Exercise is Medicine" but do you know to what extent? Regular physical activity and living a healthy lifestyle can actually REPLACE the need to take medications.
My time spent as a personal trainer, I have helped clients not only become healthier and more fit, I have seen them stop the need to take medications to control glucose levels for Diabetes and water pills for high blood pressure. Others see physical improvements by experiencing less symptoms for diseases such as Parkinson's and Osteoporosis.
Organizations such as Exercise is Medicine Canada help encourage health professionals and medical practitioners help patients meet both physical activity and health goals related to chronic disease prevention, management and treatment.
In reference to www.csep.ca The goals of Exercise is Medicine Canada are to:
Increase the number of health care professionals who are assessing, prescribing and counselling patients in physical activity
Increase the number of Canadians meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines and the Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines
Encourage the appropriate use of qualified exercise professionals in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease
The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology as well as the WHO have set physical activity guidelines to help Canadians get the right amount of exercise they need to see positive improvements in health. The exercise guidelines for adults (anyone between the ages of 18-64) are to achieve 150 minutes of moderate - vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity per week. It is also recommended that adults complete 2 days per week of muscle strength training that target all the major muscle groups in the body. To make this all simple, more physical activity equals greater health benefits.