Exercise is Medicine

Exercise is Medicine is a nonprofit initiative launched by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Medical Association (AMA). The initiative calls for physical activity and exercise to be standard parts of disease prevention and medical treatment, urging healthcare providers to assess and review patients’ physical activity programs at every visit, with office visits that conclude exercise clearance and a prescription or referral to a qualified health/fitness professional. In addition, patients are encouraged to begin a conversation with their doctor about physical activity, and to learn how to best continue or improve upon their exercise regimens.

Exercise is crucial to the prevention, management, and treatment of numerous chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure and other medical problems. Although exercise clearly benefits the appearance of the body, the Exercise is Medicine program focuses more on the internal benefits of physical activity and how these benefits contribute to the longevity and quality of life. The Exercise is Medicine program was launched on Nov. 5, 2007, in Washington, D.C. In addition to leaders from ACSM and AMA, Rear Admiral Stephen K. Galson (the acting Surgeon General of the United States) spoke at the event (Rauworth, 2013).

The initiative also includes “May-Kit Happen,” a commemorative program that launched in May 2008, asking people to incorporate a little more physical activity into their lives and to talk to their physicians during the month of May about what types of exercises are best suited to their circumstances. Many states, including Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia proclaimed May as Exercise is Medicine month. Several cities also have pledged support by creating events featuring the “May-Kit Happen” principles, including Indianapolis, IN, Tallahassee, FL, Eugene, OR and several cities in Texas (Rauworth, 2013).

Numerous organizations have signed on in support of the Exercise is Medicine program, well known supporters include the American Academy of Family Physicians,the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,the American College of Preventive Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, the American Heart Association, the American Optometric Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, Bastyr University, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the National Athletic Trainers' Association, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Project ACES, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, the USA Triathlon, the University of Florence and various branches of the YMCA, including that of the United States as a whole (Rauworth, 2013).