As reported in the June 23 issue of Circulation, the American Heart Association (AHA), after summarizing the health benefits of regular exercise, advises all physicians to "be educated about exercise as a therapeutic modality and the importance of lifelong physical activity in their patients,"

Doctors were also encouraged to "routinely prescribe exercise and increased physical activity to their patients in accordance with recommendations made by the CDC/ACSM and the AHA."

A report from the Council on Clinical Cardiology and the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism, endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine, said that "regular physical activity using large muscle groups, such as walking, running, or swimming, produces cardiovascular adaptations that increase exercise capacity, endurance and skeletal muscle strength.

"Habitual physical activity also prevents the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and reduces symptoms in patients with established cardiovascular disease."

The report also stressed that there is evidence that exercise reduces the risk of other chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, depression and cancer of the breast and colon.

The AHA is providing suggestions to healthcare professionals for implementing physical activity programmes for their patients and identifies areas for future investigation.

Focussing on aerobic physical activity, the statement says that evidence supports the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) that individuals should engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most (preferably all) days of the week.