Exercise – The Magic Cure

For a long time the benefits of exercise on health have been recognised.

Being active has a positive impact on many aspects of health.  Activity reduces risk of dementia and depression by 30%, heart disease and Type II diabetes by 40%, breast cancer by 25% and osteo porosis by 50%.  Physical activity has shown to prevent many types of cancer including breast, colon, endometrial, kidney, bladder, oesophageal and stomach.

The ideal amount of exercise and how strenuous the exercise should be depends on the persons age.  Only a small amount of exercise can have a significant benefit.

With a growing and aging population the number of people with chronic conditions continue to rise putting pressure on the Health Service.

In 2015 the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges produced a report “Exercise – The Miracle Cure”. A number of factors interact to encourage people, before they become patients to undertake physical activity.  These include finances, up-bringing and education amongst others.

Adults should undertake 150 minutes of moderately intensive activity each week to include strength, flexibility and balance.  Moderately intensive activity can be judged by being able to talk but not sing.  Children should undertake 60 minutes of physical activity a day and be more intense.

25% of population do no activity at all, with only 63% achieving the recommended minimum.

70% of the NHS budget is spent on chronic conditions.

Being “physically fit” delays or avoids the need for supportive care.  The cost of providing care for the elderly population will sky rocket in the future.

Attitudes can be changed as witnessed by the reduction in smoking and the attitude towards climate change.  Individuals, social and institutional change is required.

Personal habits may be good but the majority tend to be bad.

??? happy drugs have been described Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin and Endorphins.  These can be liberated by achieving goals, outdoor activity, undertaking good deeds and exercise respectively.

Fitness is different from a lack of fatness but exercise and nutrition work together.  Dropping old bad habits and starting new ones are very difficult.  It is common to hear how busy people are.

It is important that doctors reinforce the benefit of exercise and signpost people to what is now a growing number of specialists who can help.  On an individual level it is impossible to alter the social culture in which the patient interacts but national policies to encourage people to exercise, using either a stick or a carrot is essential for the long-term health of patients and the NHS.