Increasing Physical Activity: A Practical Guide

Only a fifth of adults in the United States do enough physical activity to meet the guidelines set by Centers for Disease Control. The health benefits of regular physical activity are beyond dispute, yet less than 40% of physicians routinely counsel their patients on the importance of physical activity. Increasing Physical Activity: A Practical Guide equips healthcare practitioners to include physical activity counseling in the daily practice of medicine. Written by lifestyle medicine pioneer and cardiologist, Dr James Rippe, this book proves inactivity is a stronger risk factor than other lifestyle factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many other diseases. It provides evidence-based information on the role of physical activity in preventing and treating chronic conditions and includes practical strategies for healthcare practitioners to prescribe this powerful method to enhance both short and long-term health and quality of life. Features: Specific chapters explain the role of physical activity in reduction of risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, dementia and many other chronic conditions. Chapters begin with bulleted, key points and conclude with a list of clinical applications. Strategies are provided to encourage previously sedentary individuals to adopt regular physical activity. Physical activity is placed in the context of other lifestyle medicine concepts including maintenance of a healthy body weight, following sound nutritional practices, stress reduction and other practices which impact on health and quality of life. Written for healthcare practitioners at all levels, this is a user-friendly, evidence-based manual for healthcare practitioners looking to incorporate more physical activity counseling into either general medicine or subspecialty practices.