Methods

I used information from articles found through the Medline database on topics I selected after reviewing major sports medicine journals. I selected topics relating to advances where primary care doctors have a key role in promoting physical activity and preventing and treating medical problems in active patients.

Health benefits of regular physical activity

One of the most important advances in medicine is the documentation that regular physical activity reduces the risk of premature mortality, coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, obesity, and diabetes mellitus.1 Recent studies have shown that inactivity and low cardiorespiratory fitness are as important predictors of mortality and morbidity as overweight, obesity, smoking, and raised cholesterol levels and blood pressure.1^–6 Physical activity also protects against breast cancer, and possibly prostate, lung, and endometrial cancer.1

Substantial health benefits can be obtained by undertaking a moderate amount of physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week.1 Most recommendations suggest moderately intense exercise with large muscle groups—such as brisk walking—for 30 minutes. Recent evidence suggests that exercise sessions may be split into shorter bouts of 5-10 minutes' duration, or even shorter bouts if exercise intensity is high enough.