Lower intensity activities, if they are pursued for long enough periods, can be just as beneficial to health as more vigorous pursuits. The message physicians should send to patients is to try to accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, if not all, days. The people who stand to gain the most are sedentary patients who are able to build small amounts of activity into their way of life. The exercise prescription does not have to be complex, claims James Rippe, MD, director of the Center for Clinical and Lifestyle Research and a professor of medicine at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Fortunately, giving this kind of general advice does not necessarily require a huge time commitment, says Adele Franks, MD, assistant director for science at CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and scientific editor of the surgeon general's report.
Patients fill out a form in the waiting room.
Physicians look over the responses and can quickly determine whether a patient is ready to accept advice and what type of advice is best. Interestingly, so do a good percentage of the physicians who counsel them, according to the same report. More than likely. Of course, there are obvious exceptions to the rule, admits Franks, such as patients with chest pain caused by physical activity or patients with bone or joint problems that are exacerbated by activity. Also, the older a person is, the more gradually he or she will need to begin, which works fine with the new fitness emphasis on moderate-intensity activity, says Blair.