Exercise as Medicine

An increasing body of scientific evidence point to the fact that exercise is the best medicine. A large and growing body of clinical and epidemiologic evidence supports the concept that specifically prescribed exercise is highly effective as treatment and prevention or many diseases as well as for health enhancement.

A Consumer Reports survey of more than 46,000 people found exercise to be almost as effective as – and sometimes more effective than – prescription medications for common medical problems.

As Good As Medical Treatment

When we think of “medicine”, we often think of a drug, something to be taken by mouth or injection. Although not “taken” but “done”, an exercise prescription is much like a drug prescription.

Exercise is a medicine that can prevent or treat many disabling or fatal diseases, i.e. heart disease, cancer, stroke, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and osteoporosis, etc.

Evidence-based studies have found that exercise is highly effective as treatment and prevention for these diseases as well as for health enhancement.

The health rewards of exercise extend far beyond its benefits for specific diseases. Exercise reduces blood clotting, enhances self-image, elevates mood, reduces stress, improves appearance, increases energy, gives the feeling of well-being (probably by stimulating endorphins). It reinforces other positive lifestyle changes, such as healthier eating habits and smoking cessation. It also stimulates creative thinking.

Furthermore, the ability of exercise to restore function to organs, muscles, joints, and bones is not shared by drugs or surgery. Paradoxically, conventional medical practice favours physical rest and inactivity during recovery from illness.



No joke! It really work!