Prescribe physical exercise in doctor’s offices?

A study by the Catalan Society of Family and Community Medicine (Camfic) with the participation of the Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute (IdiapJgol) recommends family doctors prescribe physical exercise in primary care consultations (CAP), “just like it is done with drugs”.

This is stated in a statement, where they warn that “It is not enough to recommend exercise: it must be prescribedwith specific guidelines, in the same way as is done with a drug”, in a study published in the journal Primary Care.

Exercise, prescribed as a medicine

The work points out that prescription is “rare” and identifies several barriers to implement it, such as lack of time and specific protocols, the little training of professionals and the poor interdisciplinary coordination, among others.

“When we talk about recommendation, the message is too generic and diffuse. Prescription, on the other hand, provides clarity, security and monitoring, and increases the person’s chances of incorporating physical activity into their daily life“explains the doctor of the CAMFiC Physical Exercise Group and coordinator of the study, Montserrat Romaguera.

The authors of the study demand a “change of model” that incorporates clinical guides for exercise prescription and training of professionals given that, according to them, the benefits of regular physical activity are widely known, such as the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases or breast and colon cancers, in addition to improvements in strength, agility, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance.