Exercising outdoors 'is a medicine'
25/08/2009 Doctors are attempting to get the message across that people need to consider exercise as a form of medicine.
Although many people do not think about going for a walk as their medicine, doctors are trying to change attitudes and get people thinking that participating in regular physical activity is important to wellbeing, reports Health.
Dr David N Westerdahl of the Cleveland Clinic in Weston specialises in sports medicine, and he says: "Exercise truly is medicine. It can help you feel better, it can help treat a variety of medical conditions and also help prevent certain forms of cancer and other disease".
Westerdahl is a staff physician for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.
He added that exercise had been shown to reduce all causes of mortality, especially coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is a major health cost to society and it results in years of life lost as well as loss of quality of life.
Research released last week by Childnet found that children were spending nearly nine hours every day in front of technology, suggesting they are not spending enough time indulging in outdoor play activities.
Although many people do not think about going for a walk as their medicine, doctors are trying to change attitudes and get people thinking that participating in regular physical activity is important to wellbeing, reports Health.
Dr David N Westerdahl of the Cleveland Clinic in Weston specialises in sports medicine, and he says: "Exercise truly is medicine. It can help you feel better, it can help treat a variety of medical conditions and also help prevent certain forms of cancer and other disease".
Westerdahl is a staff physician for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.
He added that exercise had been shown to reduce all causes of mortality, especially coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is a major health cost to society and it results in years of life lost as well as loss of quality of life.
Research released last week by Childnet found that children were spending nearly nine hours every day in front of technology, suggesting they are not spending enough time indulging in outdoor play activities.
