Spring into preventive care: How physicians can use seasonal change to boost patient activity
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There is not a one size fits all to prescribing exercise similar to there is not a one size fits all prescription for many other things in medicine.
—Liz Joy, MD, MPH
Our role as physicians is to motivate and inspire patients to understand these concepts, to understand what the techniques and the technologies are to help people achieve these goals and optimize their performance preservation.
—Bert Mandelbaum, MD
Spring is here and there has never been a better time to encourage physical activity in your patients.
Research suggests individuals have higher levels of physical activity in warmer months compared with other seasons.[]
Here is how to have a productive conversation about physical activity as we enter the warmer seasons.
“The most important thing clinicians can do is to personalize the conversation about how regular physical activity can improve quality of life. Does the person want to have more energy? Sleep better? Prevent diabetes? Play with their grandchildren? Go on a walking trip to Europe? Avoid dementia like their parent? Lose weight? I always start with that,” Liz Joy, MD, a family, sports & lifestyle medicine physician, former president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and chair of the ACSM’s Exercise is Medicine Governance Committee, told MDLinx.
“Then determine where the patient is along the stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance. That serves as a guide for what comes next. Do they just get a nudge, an exercise prescription, or a referral to an exercise professional? There is not a one size fits all to prescribing exercise similar to there is not a one size fits all prescription for many other things in medicine.”
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recommends that adults need at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity every week. Adults also need activities that strengthen muscles, like doing push ups or lifting weights on at least two days of the week.[]
“We know that aerobic exercise—walking, jogging, swimming, cycling—improves heart health. This is important since heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. Likewise, aerobic activity is associated with reduced risk of cancer, and [higher] cancer survivorship. Increasingly, we are hearing about the importance and benefits of resistance training.”
“The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults perform resistance training to strengthen major muscle groups two times per week. And this is where a lot of people fall short of meeting the guidelines. But this type of exercise is so, so important, especially for healthy aging. It helps people maintain their muscle mass and helps to prevent falls and frailty," Dr. Joy says.
Motivating patients
Not every patient is enthusiastic about physical activity and exercise.
Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports medicine specialist, orthopedic surgeon, and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles, argues this is why it is so important for physicians to motivate patients to improve not only their day-to-day health but also their longevity through physical activity.
“This is about survivorship. We all have a point of time that we're going to live to… but we have the ability of extending up and out. And I think our role as physicians is to motivate and inspire patients to understand these concepts, to understand what the techniques and the technologies are to help people achieve these goals and optimize their performance preservation. I think when you speak in those terms, it's amazing how many people are motivated and inspired by that to go to the next level,” Dr. Mandelbaum said, in speaking with MDLinx. He is also the author of The Win Within: Capturing Your Victorious Spirit.
Getting outside
As the weather warms up, Dr. Joy says, there are greater opportunities for patients to reap the benefits of outdoor physical activity, not only for their physical health but also for their mental health.
“I talk about outdoor physical activity as being uniquely beneficial for mental health. There is some interesting research on this. It is also generally safer for older adults, given the absence of snow and ice. And I encourage going for walks with friends, family, and neighbors as a way to socially connect while getting some exercise,” she said.