Exercise: The Best Medicine, By Sally Squires/ The Lean Plate Club

“Walk two miles and call me in the morning.”

That’s what doctors could soon prescribe if the new leaders of two major medical groups have their way.

“We’re trying to get every physician to prescribe exercise,” says Robert Sallis, a California physician who recently became president of the American College of Sports Medicine. “Physicians have a moral responsibility to inform patients of the danger of inactivity and the health benefits of being more active.”

That’s also the message from the new head of the American Medical Association.

“We are in lockstep with them on that concept,” says incoming AMA President Ronald M. Davis, who is also the director of the Henry Ford Health System’s Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Detroit. “We need to get doctors to prescribe exercise more and we need to get patients to follow that advice.”

More than half of Americans fail to get the 30 minutes of physical activity recommended daily to provide health benefits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So many Americans are inactive that some experts have coined a new term for it: sedentary death syndrome. The condition helps cut short an estimated 250,000 lives annually, according to Frank Booth, professor of physiology at the University of Missouri. Research suggests that people who are sedentary spend about $1,500 more annually on medical bills than do their more active counterparts.

“There are also studies to show that they miss more work and are not as productive,” says Sallis. Research shows that regular physical activity improves health by cutting the risk of heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. Even brief bouts of activity several times a day can help control weight and relieve arthritis, anxiety and depression.

“Exercise is medicine,” Sallis says. “We know that it works very well. We just don’t have the proper way to administer it.”

That’s where the doctors come in. Sallis is leading the charge to get doctors and other health professionals to ask every patient at every office visit about their exercise habits.

It isn’t just activity that doctors are being asked to encourage. Harvard Medical School and the Culinary Institute of America recently teamed up to teach physicians to cook more healthfully for their own personal consumption.

The theory is that by teaching doctors how to cook, they may be more likely to encourage their patients to do the same. Harvard also is considering establishing teaching kitchens in hospitals. The goal would be to take patients who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease or other nutritionally related conditions, and show them how to make healthier meals.

September Snack Ideas

Don't defeat the purpose of going to the gym by having a poor diet. Follow these nutrition tips and snack ideas to help stay in shape.

Think outside the box.
Avoid boxed foods and go for the fresh stuff.

Eat breakfast.
There's a reason for it being the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast speeds up your metabolism. Oatmeal, egg whites, and smoothies are great suggestions. Even if you're in a rush, grab a piece of fruit to have something in your stomach. This will make you less likely to overeat at lunchtime and also give you the energy you need to get through your work day.

For more nutrition tips, check out the article "10 Tips for Easy Weight Loss," written by Gloria Tsang, Registered Dietitian and founder of the largest nutrition network, www.HealthCastle.com.

Snack Ideas
Here are some healthy snack suggestions. The best part? Each snack is under 200 calories.

• 1 sugar-free Eskimo Pie bar

• 1/2 English muffin with 1 Tbsp tomato sauce and 1 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese

• 6 gingersnaps or vanilla wafers

• 6 cups reduced-fat microwave popcorn sprinkled with 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, cajun seasoning, or spray margarine

• 30 frozen grapes

• 5 graham crackers with 1 Tbsp jam

• 2 slices whole wheat toast with cinnamon and sugar, 1 Tsp lite whipped butter

• Fruit Smoothie: Blend 8 oz skim milk or non-fat yogurt with 1/4 cup strawberries, 1/2 banana, 4 ice cubes, and 1-2 Tsp sugar or Equal (as needed)

• 3 stalks of celery with 1/4 cup hummus

• 1 small baked potato with chives, lite sour cream, salsa, and/or spray margarine

September Exercise Tips

Here are some tips from our Fitcorp experts on how to look better and feel better.

Have a workout buddy.
Having a gym partner helps you stay motivated. Spending time with friends or family also makes the routine more enjoyable, making the quality a lot better.

Listen to your body.
Working out is not a competition with other members in the gym. If you are in pain, take a break. Don't overexert yourself to the point of potential injury. Even if you've had the same routine for weeks or months, pay attention to your body if it needs to rest.

Play mind games if you get bored.
For some people, running long distances can get monotonous. Play little games with yourself, like sprinting for 100 steps and then slowing down for the next 100. Continue this game for a good portion of your run, and the intensity of your run will be a lot higher. Not to mention, time will fly by! Mental games can help with any form of exercise. Running, rowing, and biking are great examples.

Multi-task.
Walk while talking on your cell phone. You would be surprised at how many calories you can burn when you're not even paying attention!

Make exercise a priority.
Too many people blame their lack of exercise on not having enough time. Make time! Setting a regular time for fitness will make it much easier to stick to.

Change your routine up.
After a while of doing the same exercises, our muscles get bored because they don't have to work as hard. Change your program every six weeks, and don't be scared to try new exercise activities you may enjoy. Group fitness has a wide variety of classes that work different muscle groups, like Yoga, Pilates and Kickboxing. Our new Zumba dance class is another fun way to burn tons of calories.