Exercise: The miracle cure and the role of the doctor in promoting it
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges | February 2015
The big four “proximate” causes of preventable ill-health are: smoking, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and alcohol excess. Of these, the importance of regular exercise is the least well-known. Relatively low levels of increased activity can make a huge difference. All the evidence suggests small amounts of regular exercise (five times a week for 30 minutes each time for adults) brings dramatic benefits. The exercise should be moderate – enough to get a person slightly out of breath and/or sweaty, and with an increased heart rate. This report is a thorough review of that evidence.
This report sets out what doctors can do on a one-to-one basis and in a broader way with communities and organisations, including their own as many doctors are themselves employers. Helping NHS staff to become more active will help change society. In a wider context, sports and recreational facilities need to actively seek a diversity of clientele, and infrastructure is needed to support more active travel and outdoor spaces. It then sets out a series of case studies which show how relatively simple measures designed to enable and encourage physical activity can make an impact on individuals’ health.
This is about people and their doctors believing that the small effort involved is worth it because they are worth it. This needs to work across the life-course, from children to the very elderly.
