An Ounce of Prevention

January 6, 2010

I read a great article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal entitled “The Hidden Benefits of Exercise”.   Of course a lot of the information within the article was not earth shattering.   For example, brisk exercise of 30 – 45 minutes a day 5 times a week can boost the body’s immune system.   Additionally, previous studies have show that regular exercise can lower the risk of stroke, reduce the incidence of diabetes, reduce the risk for multiple types of cancer and decrease depression as effectively as Prozac or behavioral therapy.

With all the benefits of exercise, I was surprised to read that only 4 out of 10 doctors talk to their patients about the importance of exercise.   Talk about the need for healthcare reform.   Dr. Robert Sallis sums up the benefits very pointedly when he states “if there was a drug with the same benefits of exercise, it would instantly be the standard of care.”   With the larger healthcare debate raging, you hear very little about prevention, but clearly prevention needs to be a part of any reform if it will truly succeed.   While we cannot control the political grandstanding accompanying the healthcare debate or the timing of government imposed healthcare reform, we can control our own behavior. 

So if you’re like millions of others that have resolved to exercise more in 2010, I encourage you to “take the exercise pill” and improve your overall health!

2 Responses to “An Ounce of Prevention” (Leave a Comment)

1. advantage health says:

   January 12, 2010 at 10:22 pm

   Nice post! Very complete and detail information. That
2. Depression Treatments says:

   January 13, 2010 at 1:20 am

   This is some good information, I just finished my paper for school and think I should go re-edit it lol. You may have just made me a regular