Doctor's Orders: Move

Should your doctor prescribe exercise like a medicine? The American College of Cardiology says yes. In a new scientific statement published in its journal JACC, the group says exercise should be a core part of preventing and treating heart disease. The biggest drop in risk happens when people who barely move start moving a little. Low fitness predicts future heart disease about as well as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. And you may not need ten thousand steps. The statement points to evidence that about five to seven thousand steps a day are linked to big reductions in deaths from heart disease and from all causes. It also recommends strength training alongside cardio for most adults. The committee chair, Dr. Jonathan Myers, puts it simply: some activity is better than none. Talk with your doctor before starting something new. Wunder Health.