Please Don’t Make Me Exercise!

What kind of doctor are you anyway?

“You’ve got to be kidding!”

Carol spit out these words as she stared at her physician and the white piece of paper she’d just been handed.

“No, I’m not kidding,” replied the doctor. “As a woman who is 40 pounds overweight, you meet the criteria for mild obesity. You also have underlying conditions of high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and borderline diabetes. And you have given me a list of additional problems including fatigue, low-grade depression, trouble sleeping, and poor self-esteem.”

The doctor continued, “The prescription in your hand is for the most state-of-the-art treatment available for this particular diagnosis. If you take this prescription faithfully, I can almost guarantee you’ll see rapid improvement. In fact, I predict after one year on this prescription, most of your current ailments will be resolved.”

The prescription

Carol felt numb as she picked up her purse and got ready to leave. Then she glanced down at the prescription and read it again. With irritation in her voice, Carol said to the doctor, “I can’t believe this is all you are going to offer me. Why can’t you just give me some weight-loss pills?”

Critical to your health

The physician looked at Carol’s stricken face and sighed deeply. “I’m so sorry, but this is the only option I see right now. Without this prescription, your condition will NOT improve, and most likely, it will continue to get worse.”

Realizing her doctor was serious, Carol asked, “Where do I get this prescription filled?”

“Look around you,” the doctor replied. “There are hundreds of places you can go. Most are close by and easily accessible. Start by evaluating your basement, areas in your neighborhood, a nearby park, the mall, and a local recreation center or gym.

The doctor continued, “Of course, you can always go to a higher-end private facility as well. You’ll pay a monthly fee for filling the prescription at one of these places, but the extra cost might be worth it. One last thing, please note that this prescription is for one full year of treatment. Plan to call my office for a follow-up visit when you’re due for a refill.”

Is this for real?

Maybe you haven’t received one of these prescriptions yet. But the chances are you will sometime soon.

American Medical Association member, Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, an obesity medicine physician and associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, discusses what patients need to know about physical activity.

“\Most people will say at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity minutes per week,” said Dr. Stanford. “Thirty minutes, five times per week would be on average how people would break that up. Although, you can break that up any way that you want.

During my 25 years of running a weight-loss center and being a health and weight-loss coach, I’ve found that exercise is one of the hardest areas for overweight people to address. It takes a lot of gentle encouragement and consistent follow-up to see changes in a client’s exercise patterns.

In recent years, I have found that many doctors are starting to recognize that exercise may be a better treatment approach than handing out medications.

It’s also cost-effective because you don’t have to worry about insurance coverage or whether to fill your prescription by mail.

All you have to do is open your front door. Or find a suitable exercise place in your own home.

Not easy, but necessary

Regardless of your current weight or health picture, I encourage you to start filling this prescription on a full-time basis. If 30 minutes a day isn’t feasible, divide the dose in half or thirds.

You don’t need to make it a hard-core workout or join an expensive gym.

All this treatment requires is you regularly move your body, at whatever speed is practical for you.

Simply aim to follow this prescription faithfully for 30 minutes a day.

Popping a pill isn’t the best approach

A recent article published by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says:

Most weight loss occurs from decreasing caloric intake. However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity. Most importantly, physical activity reduces risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes beyond that produced by weight reduction alone.

Certainly, using a weight-loss drug might seem easier. But in the long run, an exercise prescription will give you added benefits such as lowering your blood pressure or cholesterol.

It might be the secret to improving every area of your life, including helping you live longer.