Exercise is Medicine is a nonprofit initiative launched by the American College of Sports Medicine

American College of Sports Medicine

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 40,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and...

 (ACSM) and the American Medical Association

American Medical Association

The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...

 (AMA).

Overview

The initiative calls for physical activity and exercise to be standard parts of disease prevention and medical treatment, urging healthcare providers to assess and review patients’ physical activity programs at every visit, with office visits that conclude exercise clearance and a prescription or referral to a qualified health/fitness professional. In addition, patients are encouraged to begin a conversation with their doctor about physical activity, and to learn how to best continue or improve upon their exercise regimens.

Exercise is crucial to the prevention, management, and treatment of numerous chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease

Heart disease

Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...

, obesity

Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...

, high blood pressure and other medical problems. Although exercise clearly benefits the appearance of the body, the Exercise is Medicine program focuses more on the internal benefits of physical activity and how these benefits contribute to the longevity and quality of life.

The Exercise is Medicine program was launched on Nov. 5, 2007, in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 In addition to leaders from ACSM and AMA, Rear Admiral Stephen K. Galson (the acting Surgeon General of the United States) spoke at the event.

The initiative also includes “May-Kit Happen,” a commemorative program that launched in May 2008, asking people to incorporate a little more physical activity into their lives and to talk to their physicians during the month of May about what types of exercises are best suited to their cicumstances.

State involvement

Many states, including Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

, Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, South Dakota

South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

, Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 and Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 proclaimed May as Exercise is Medicine month. Several cities also have pledged support by creating events featuring the “May-Kit Happen” principles, including Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

, Tallahassee, FL

Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...

, Eugene, OR

Eugene, Oregon

Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...

 and several cities in Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

.

Supporters

Numerous organizations have signed on in support of the Exercise is Medicine program, well known supporters include the American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Family Physicians

The American Academy of Family Physicians was founded in 1947 to promote the science and art of family medicine. It is one of the largest medical organizations in the United States, with over 100,000 members...

, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is the national medical specialty society for physicians who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation . These physicians are called “physiatrists” or “rehabilitation physicians.” Founded in 1938, the mission of AAPM&R is to...

, the American College of Preventive Medicine

American College of Preventive Medicine

Founded in 1954, the American College of Preventive Medicine is a U.S.-based physician organization focused on practice, research, publication, and teaching of evidence-based preventive medicine...

, the American Council on Exercise

American Council on Exercise

The American Council on Exercise is a nonprofit fitness certification and education provider.Established in 1985, ACE now operates as a full-service entity with a staff of more than 40...

, the American Heart Association

American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...

, the American Optometric Association

American Optometric Association

The American Optometric Association represents optometrists nationally in the USA. It consists of State Optometric Associations, which are made up of local optometric societies.-AOA mission:...

, the American Osteopathic Association

American Osteopathic Association

The American Osteopathic Association is the representative member organization for the over 78,000 osteopathic medical physicians in the United States...

, the American Physical Therapy Association

American Physical Therapy Association

A Historical PerspectivePhysical therapists formed their first professional association in 1921, called the American Women's Physical Therapeutic Association. Led by President Mary McMillan, an executive committee of elected officers governed the Association, which included 274 charter members...

, Bastyr University

Bastyr University

Bastyr University was established as the John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1978 in Seattle, Washington by Sheila Quinn, Joseph Pizzorno, ND, LM; William Mitchell, ND; and Les Griffith, ND, LM...

, the Center for Science in the Public Interest

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Center for Science in the Public Interest is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group focusing on nutritional education and awareness.-History and funding:...

, the National Athletic Trainers' Association

National Athletic Trainers' Association

The National Athletic Trainers' Association is a professional membership association serving certified athletic trainers and others who support the athletic training profession in the United States...

, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition , is an American government organization that aims to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sport"...

, Project ACES

Project ACES

Do not confuse with Project Aces, the Namco Bandai design team in charge of the Ace Combat flight simulation series.Project ACES is an acronym for All Children Exercise Simultaneously...

, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association

Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association

The Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association is a trade association of the retailers, manufacturers and marketers of the sporting goods industry. The SGMA was founded in 1906 in New York, and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Currently, the SGMA represents over 1,000 manufacturers, retailers...

, the USA Triathlon

USA Triathlon

USA Triathlon is the national governing body for the multisport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon is a member federation of the U.S...

, the University of Florence

University of Florence

The University of Florence is a higher study institute in Florence, central Italy. One of the largest and oldest universities in the country, it consists of 12 faculties...

 and various branches of the YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

, including that of the United States as a whole.