Article

The current epidemic of sedentary behavior is a serious public health issue that
requires the attention of the medical community. Although the benefits of
physical activity are well established, research indicates that Americans are not
heeding the message, and new strategies are warranted to bring about change in
this arena. The health care community can and should play a key role in this
movement. Patients respect their physicians as credible sources of information
and look to them for health-related guidance. Unfortunately, many physicians are
not talking to their patients about physical activity and are missing a unique
opportunity to raise awareness about its benefits. Exercise needs to be discussed
as a serious form of treatment, similar to medication, and should be thoughtfully
prescribed to every patient. Physicians need to be familiar with the level of
exercise necessary to achieve health benefits as defined by the Physical Activity
Guidelines for Americans. Furthermore, they should be competent in their ability
to identify a patient's level of risk for starting or increasing exercise and
provide guidance on the frequency, intensity, time, and type of activity
necessary to safely elicit maximal health benefits. These basic competencies can
be easily understood by physicians and incorporated into their practices.
Resources have been established to help support physicians in this process.
Physiatrists are uniquely positioned to lead the effort for change in this area
because they are well-established proponents of exercise and are trained to
prescribe therapeutic exercise to address the complex medical issues of their
patients. This skill-set should be used for every patient in an effort to reduce
the widespread prevalence of the "chronic disease" physical inactivity.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS