Exercise – it’s a Medicine!
A new initiative called Exercise is Medicine® Australia (www.exerciseismedicine.org.au) has been set up to focus on encouraging health care providers to review and assess every patient’s physical activity levels at every visit.
Exercise is Medicine® Australia: guiding principles
There are three guiding principles of this initiative that are designed to improve the health and wellbeing of all Australians through regular physical activity. The guiding principles are:
- Physical activity and exercise are important to health and the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases;
- More should be done to address physical activity and exercise in health care settings; and
- Patients should be referred to appropriately trained health professionals to deliver exercise treatment services.
The prescription you receive is exercise!
Research has proven that exercise, instructed or prescribed at the correct intensity and duration, not only improves our quality of life but it decreases our risk of disease, chronic health conditions and obesity. Here are some exercise intensity facts.
Regular exercise at the correct intensity can:
• Significantly improve overall health
• Reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by one-third
• Decrease depression as effectively as medications or behaviour therapy
• Reduce the risk of heart disease by 40%
• Lower the risk of stroke by 27%
• Reduce the incidence of high blood pressure by almost 50%
• Reduce the incidence of diabetes by almost 50%
• Reduce mortality and the risk of recurrent breast cancer by almost 50%
• Lower the risk of colon cancer by over 60%
Ref : Exercise Is Medicine (US) brochure 2009
Moving optimally
When we do move and exercise, we all want it to be with as much ease as possible. The correct exercise prescription can also assist your chiropractic treatments, helping your body feel its best.
What you should do
Open up a dialogue with the team at Kingswilliam, speak to an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) or visit the Exercise is Medicine ® Australia website www.exerciseismedicine.org.au.
Deb Koorey is an exercise physiologist, director of “Let’s Get Fit” and one of the team of professionals that we use at KingsWilliam.
