Exercise is the best medicine

Everybody blessed with a decent amount of common sense knew this already, but it’s seemingly important to point it out once again nonetheless: exercise is the best medicine.

Only one medicine is so powerful it can improve overall health and help reduce the risk of dozens of conditions from diabetes to hypertension: Exercise. But to reap the benefits, this “medicine” must be taken as directed. To help make it easier for consumers to stick to their daily dose of activity, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company today launched the Exercise is Medicine™ Public Toolkit patient program. This “medicine cabinet” of physical activity tools will help consumers plan their exercise regimen, track it and stick to it more easily.

Exercise is Medicine was initially introduced to physicians nationwide in 2007 with a goal of increasing patient-physician dialogue around the importance of physical fitness.

“Powerful medicine only works if it is taken as prescribed, and since the advent of Exercise is Medicine we have reached out to thousands of physicians with this message. Now, our goal is to make sure patients have the tools they need to successfully fill their prescriptions for exercise,” said Robert E. Sallis, M.D., immediate past president of the American College of Sports Medicine and chair of Exercise is Medicine. “The key to a healthy weight is simple arithmetic – calories in cannot exceed calories out. Physical activity helps boost the ‘calories out’ side of the equation.”

“Exercise is Medicine encourages consumers to speak with their physicians about an appropriate level of exercise to help achieve and maintain good health. A healthy lifestyle that includes a sensible, balanced diet combined with regular physical activity is an essential ‘prescription’ for balanced living that can include all foods and beverages,” said Celeste Bottorff, Vice President, Living Well, Coca-Cola North America. “Exercise is Medicine is one of the many programs The Coca-Cola Company is proud to support. With ACSM, we are helping to raise the publics’ awareness of the health benefits of exercise.”

Although the above should be obvious to everyone, it’s nonetheless good to see that Coca Cola decides to do more than to sell, sell, sell.* Western societies have serious health problems, caused mostly be a lack of exercise.

* Of course this plan will help Coca Cola sell more coke – it’s great PR.