Your level of physical activity could be a vital sign [Video]

Has your doctor quizzed you about your level of physical activity? If so, you can thank Exercise is Medicine, a global health initiative managed by the American College of Sports Medicine.Created in 2007, the initiative encourages health care providers to assess patients’ physical activity during visits, plus include regular exercise when designing care plans. The amount and types of exercise that medical professionals recommend should be based on each person’s current health and ability.The philosophy behind the initiative is simple: Physical activity promotes optimal health. Regular movement also helps to prevent and even treat various medical conditions. Overwhelming evidence links physical inactivity to poor health and high health care costs, according to a 2020 article in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. The study concluded that health care and fitness programs should be merged.In addition, people who were moderately to vigorously active for at least 150 minutes per week had …