540.741.1557
Mary Washington Health Alliance
  • Provider Login
  • Find a Doctor
Search
  • Home
    • About Us
      • Provider Directory
        • New Providers
          • Locations
            • Contact
              • Board of Managers
              • Alliance Facts
              • Alliance Staff
              • Medical Imaging at Lee's Hill
              • Medical Imaging of North Stafford
              • Imaging Center for Women
              • Mary Washington Hospital
              • Stafford Hospital
              • Emergency & Outpatient Center - Lee's Hill
              • Fredericksburg Ambulatory Surgery Center
              • Medical Arts Pharmacy
              Search Close
              • Call Today Call Today
              • Email Us
              • Our Map
              • Menu
                Home
                About Us
                Provider Directory
                New Providers
                Locations
                Contact
                News
                Provider Education
                Provider Login
                MW Newsletter
                ADA Notice
                Privacy Policy
                Site Map
              News 2019 January Message from the Medical Director

              Message from the Medical Director

              New Physical Activity Guidelines

              The Special Report on the New Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans was recently released (just in time for this year’s Holiday Season during which the average person will gain 2 pounds). These new guidelines emphasize that any exercise for people of any age is better than none. This report also makes new recommendations for children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years. So this report should be of interest to every provider in the Alliance. Getting people to be more active is a low tech, low cost intervention but across the country could result in billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives saved, and improved quality of life for millions more Americans. Perhaps the most important message from the 2018 guidelines is that the greatest health benefits are achieved by moving from zero to even small amounts of activity.

              Here is a summary of the key points in this report:

              1. Approximately 80% of US adults and adolescents do not get sufficient exercise.
              2. It is no longer recommended that aerobic physical activity for adults be accumulated in “bouts” or “sessions” that last at least 10 minutes. Even short- duration activities such as climbing a flight of stairs are beneficial. It is now recognized that it is the total volume of moderate-to-vigorous activity that is related to health benefits. The goal is still 150 to 300 minutes a week. It’s OK to start with low amounts of exercise and gradually increase the amount and/or intensity. Muscle-strengthening activity is also recommended 2 days/wk.
              3. Children ages 3-5 should be physically active throughout the day. Children and adolescents ages 6-17 should do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.
              4. Adults with chronic conditions/disabilities who are able should follow key guidelines for adults.
              5. Pregnant and post-partum women should do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity (e.g. brisk walking) aerobic activity/wk.
              6. Older adults should include balance training as a component of their aerobic and muscle strengthening activities.
              7. Technology can be used alone or combined with other strategies to encourage and maintain physical activity.
              8. Providers can link patients to physical activity programs within Community, Fitness, Recreations and Parks sectors.
              9. Immediate Health Benefits include improved quality of sleep, reduction of anxiety, BP reduction, improved insulin sensitivity.
              10. More long-term benefits include improvements in cognition for children and reduced risk from (a) falls for older adults, (b) postpartum depression for pregnant women, (c) dementia and (d) excessive weight gain for all age groups.

              Ref: JAMA November 20, 2018. Volume 320, Number 19, pgs 1971-72,1983-84,2020-2028

              Late Breaking News!

              Study Population: 160 adults, average age 65, sedentary, with cognitive impairment but not dementia. Intervention: aerobic exercise 3x/wk with or without nutritional counseling.

              Results: After 6 months, people who exercised scored higher on thinking tests equivalent to reversing nearly nine years of aging.

              Source: Neurology, online 12-19-18.

              Let us all include in our New Year’s resolutions commitments to “Move More and Sit Less” for ourselves and our patients.

              Categories: Featured, MWMD Newsletter


              Previous Post  |  Next Post

              Recent Posts

              • ACC-Choosing Wiely
              • ACC-Choosing Wiely
              • Message from the Chairman of the MWMD Board
              • Message from the Medical Director-Update on Testing for COVID-19
              • Committee Corner-Message from Communications & Education Chair
              • Welcome New Providers
              • Provider/Practice Updates
              • NextGen ACO Model Extended

              Categories

              • Blog (12)
              • Featured (3)
              • MWMD Newsletter (98)
              • News (35)

              Archives

              • 2020 (15)
              • December (2)
              • July (6)
              • April (7)
              • 2019 (27)
              • October (10)
              • July (8)
              • January (9)
              • 2018 (47)
              • October (13)
              • September (4)
              • July (12)
              • March (12)
              • January (6)
              • 2017 (33)
              • December (5)
              • November (2)
              • October (4)
              • September (7)
              • August (11)
              • May (2)
              • April (2)
              • 2015 (10)
              • December (1)
              • November (2)
              • September (1)
              • July (1)
              • June (1)
              • May (1)
              • April (1)
              • March (1)
              • January (1)
              • 2014 (4)
              • October (1)
              • September (2)
              • January (1)
              Mary Washington Health Alliance

              Mary Washington Health Alliance
              2300 Fall Hill Avenue, Suite 308
              Fredericksburg, VA 22401
              View Map [+]
              540.741.1557 http://www.mwhealthalliance.com/

              Site Links

              • About MWMD
              • Our Doctors
              • Our Hospitals and Facilities
              • Board of Managers
              • MW Health Alliance ACO
              • MWMD Annual Value Report
              • MWMD Newsletters
              • News
              • Community Health Record
              • Contact Us
              • Provider Education
              • Site Map
              • Notice of Non-Discrimination
              • ADA Notice
              • Health Link Nurse Line

              Hospitals and Facilities

              • Mary Washington Hospital
              • Stafford Hospital
              • MWH Emergency Department at Lee's Hill
              • Fredericksburg Ambulatory Surgery Center
              • MWHC Medical Arts Pharmacy

              Imaging Centers

              • Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg
              • Medical Imaging of Lee’s Hill
              • Medical Imaging of North Stafford
              • Imaging Center for Women
              Powered by Scorpion Healthcare