Should Doctors be Prescribing Exercise?

February 8, 2012 7:00 am / Posted in Articles

As I was browsing the Ottawa Citizen’s website, I came across an article about a group of Edmonton-area doctors who have started prescribing exercise to their patients. This program is targeting relatively-healthy patients with sedentary lifestyles who run the risk of diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, or heart disease if their daily routines continue to lack regular exercise.

These doctors have been urging their patients to become involved in regular physical activities, and they believe that seeing the recommendation written as a prescription will make patients more likely to follow through on their recommendations. Each prescription suggests an intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise, and activities recommended include lifting weights, walking, biking, or snowshoeing along their local trail systems, to play catch or Frisbee golf, or to try swimming.

A partnership between the doctors and at least one local recreation centre has allowed the doctors to provide free one-month passes to patients valued at $50 and $55. This will allow the patients to get into the habit of exercising, pick up fitness advice, and learn how to use the exercise machines, while introducing the rec centre to potential future paying customers.

What do you think, should doctors be prescribing exercise to their patients and giving out rec centre passes?

Of course, I know that exercise is one of the key ingredients in your health and well-being, and would definitely recommend physical activity as one of the best kinds of preventative medicine. If you feel that you might have some more questions on how to get started before or after you see you doctor, feel free to contact me for a free consultation. Click here for your free consultation with Burke.

-Burke