Physical Activity

Health care has traditionally focused on diagnosing and treating illness and injury. However, changing lifestyles and environments have led to a majority of health care expenditures to be related to physical inactivity and poor eating behaviors. Because health care providers are the most frequently visited and trusted sources of health information, providers are potentially a highly effective avenue for improving public physical activity levels.  A great step for starting, as well as improving, counseling patients about physical activity is to familiarize yourself with the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.