Physical Exercise and Health, 3: The Health Care Professional and Patient's Guide to Understanding What to Do, How, and Why -Part 1

Physical activity and exercise are associated with important short-and long-term health benefits. It does not take much effort to reap these benefits; every little bit of activity counts, including activities that are performed as part of daily life. Everybody can exercise, even those with existing medical conditions, and even those with existing cardiac or orthopedic conditions; all that is necessary is to tailor the exercise to individual capacity with appropriate dos and don'ts. This article, addressed to health care professionals, their patients, and the general public, provides practical guidance on exercise, mostly in the form of points and short paragraphs, so that the reader can easily understand and assimilate what to do, how, and why. The article explains what the health benefits of exercise are; how much exercise one ideally needs to perform for optimal health outcomes; what targets to set for exercise; what effects exercise has on muscles, bones, and the heart; and how these effects are beneficial. The article offers suggestions on how to create time and opportunity for exercise, how to motivate oneself for exercise, and how to avoid boredom and discouragement. Most important of all, this article provides a detailed discussion on exercise-related risks, especially orthopedic risks, and how to avoid these risks. Protecting the knee joint from injury receives particular attention. Practical guidance on what to actually do appears in the next article in the series.