Exercise is medicine: a call to action for physicians to assess and prescribe exercise

Engaging in regular physical activity is one of the major determinants of health. Studies have demonstrated the benefits of exercise in the treatment and prevention of most every common medical problem seen today. It is clear that patients who engage in an active and fit way of life, live longer, healthier, and better lives. For these reasons, every patient should be asked about exercise at every visit using an exercise vital sign (EVS) and, when needed, provided with an exercise prescription that encourages them to get 150 minutes or more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Physicians have an obligation to assess each patients exercise habits and inform them of the risks of being sedentary. Such an approach is critical to help stem the rising tide of deaths around the world due to noncommunicable diseases, which are so closely associated with a sedentary lifestyle.