Updated Recommendations Remove Barriers to Exercise

Newswise — A team of experts recently concluded that current recommendations may lead healthy people to seek a doctor’s advice before starting an exercise program, creating barriers to exercise participation. Exercise professionals use a procedure, called prescreening, to identify individuals who may have an increased risk for an exercise-related heart problem. In the past, the people at higher risk were advised to check with their doctor before starting an exercise program. However, exercise is safe for most people and offers many health benefits. Since exercise-related heart problems are rare and the lack of exercise is far more risky to a person’s health than exercise itself, a new model of prescreening is now recommended. These less restrictive recommendations will reduce the number of people who need to see their doctor before starting an exercise program. The result will help emphasize the important public health message that regular physical activity is important for everyone.

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