Physical Inactivity is something many of us suffer from. We just don’t exercise enough. Work a full day and go out to dinner and watch some tv and go to bed. Sooner or later, it all catches up to us. People need some form of exercise, whether it is just walking or biking or some other form. Activity is one of the keys to attain better health,
Physical Activity Benefits
Staying active can:
- Increase insulin sensitivity.
- Improve lipid levels.
- Lower blood pressure.
- Aid weight management.
- Improve blood glucose management in type 2 diabetes and lower risk of Cardiovascular Disease.
Clinical Intervention:
- Encourage patients to find ways to fit activity into their daily routine. Examples include parking further away from stores,taking the stairs instead or walking for 20 minutes a day.
- Encourage patients to aim for at least 150 minutes/week of moderate aerobic exercise with no more than 2 consecutive days without exercise. If they are just starting out, encourage them to start with just 10 minutes, three times per day and build from there.
- Adults with type 2 diabetes should be encouraged to perform resistance training at least twice a week. Many patients are motivated by wearing a pedometer and tracking their steps. Encourage them to join a walking group and challenge each other to more and more steps.
Smoking
Most patients know smoking is bad for their health, but quitting is often easier said than done. If you have patients who smoke, be sure to emphasize not only the grave dangers of continuing smoking, but also the tremendous benefits of quitting.
Clinical Intervention:
- Obtain documentation of history of tobacco use.
- Ask whether smoker is willing to quit.
- If no, initiate brief, motivational discussion regarding:
- The need to stop using tobacco
- Risks of continued use
- Encouragement to quit, as well as support when ready.
- If yes, assess preference for and initiate either minimal, brief, or intensive cessation counseling. There are several smoking cessation programs online, that provide nicotine patches, gum and lozenges free of charge along with person to person support.