Doctors Prescribe Exercise Over Medication

If you can spend $2 – $2.50 a week to improve your health dramatically, would you do it?

Why not? Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?

Exercising is considered one of the most effective ways to get healthy naturally, and now more and more doctors are supporting this idea through prescriptions. According to ABC news, doctors increasingly prescribe exercise over medication when treating chronic health problems. Some of them even partner with other organizations and fitness centers to provide affordable gym access for patients with lower income. For example, Boston’s nonprofit gym Healthworks Community Fitness has cooperated with local health care providers to help patient fill their exercise prescriptions at a lower price – approximately $10/ per month.

The significance of exercising is pretty obvious, especially when it comes to extending your life span. According to the study published in PLoS Medicine, practicing moderate exercise (like biking and hiking) 2.5 hours a week could extend your life by 3.4 years. Even just 10 minutes of daily workout could earn you an additional 1.8 years.

“Exercise is not a new medicine. It’s really an old medicine,” said Johnson, a doctor who prescribes exercise to patients. “But you know, I think we’re now coming to the point of understanding how important it is.” (Quoted from ABC News)

For more info about this topic, we encourage you to read ABC News’s report: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/doctors-prescribing-exercise-medication-37649505