Here at Aroga, we believe strongly that exercise and physical activity are tremendously important to achieve optimal health. We prescribe daily movement to increase physical endurance and cardiovascular health. After all, chronic health conditions and diseases improve substantially from increased activity.¹ In this article, I’ll provide some details on the Aroga exercise philosophy that works well for our clients.

The Aroga Exercise Philosophy: Exercise is Medicine

In a nutshell, the Aroga exercise philosophy can be stated in just three words: Exercise is medicine. In one of my other articles, Exercise Motivation: How to Get Moving in All the Right Ways, I referenced a brand-new book with the title Exercise is Medicine by investigative health journalist Judy Foreman.² It has all the rigorous scientific evidence you could ever want to prove to yourself beyond the shadow of a doubt that physical activity boosts health and slows aging.

We believe it is imperative that everyone understand the risks of sedentary behaviors and the importance of incorporating physical activity to both treat and prevent chronic diseases. This doesn’t mean Aroga is against the use of medication, which should be used when necessary to treat the symptoms of disease. But we also invite you to experience first-hand the healing power of exercise.

Easing into More Movement

If you have been physically inactive for a long period of time, you will start by adding movement and exercise to your days slowly and build upon your successes. We will support you in finding forms of physical activity that you enjoy. Whether that means getting more sunlight by spending more time in nature through walks throughout the week, committing to shorter sessions of more intense exercise such as high-intensity interval training (HIT), playing sports, or planning physical activities with friends and family.Any form of movement you engage in will add energy to your life and accrue substantial benefits over time. We will help you create exercise goals that are achievable and enjoyable. With this approach, over time your efforts will simply become part of your daily schedule.

The Aroga Exercise Philosophy Goes Beyond the Numbers

We know exercise helps us lose excess pounds and maintain a better body mass index (BMI), but it is also important to look beyond such metrics. The numerous health benefits that come from regular physical activity include feeling more energized, increased happiness, a greater sense of calm, and perhaps most importantly, better sleep. Furthermore, incorporating more physical activity into your daily routines will not only improve your health, but also the health of those around you. You will, whether you realize it or not, become a health leader as you grow, change, and prioritize your well-being.

Moving More and Sitting Less is the Goal

You might have heard a phrase in recent years, sitting is the new smoking, and while that statement is a bit sensationalistic, it does get the point across that being sedentary is arguably one of the biggest health concerns in North America, including Canada. For many of us, we are simply not moving enough—and it’s affecting our health. Over the past several decades, scientific data is showing that Canadians are suffering from low physical activity levels. This is something to to be concerned about because living a sedentary lifestyle with long periods of sitting is associated with higher mortality rates from many chronic conditions.³

A great starting point is to follow the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for your age group of 18-64 years of age⁴or 64+ years of age.⁵ They recommend 150 minutes per week in sessions of at least 10 minutes each, spread over five days of the week. That’s very little time to reap all the basic benefits of physical exercise.

When we say our basic exercise philosophy can be summed up as exercise is medicine, we mean. As one advocate put it in a 2009 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, “Exercise is medicine and physicians need to prescribe it!”⁶ And there’s even growing evidence it should be a prescribed treatment for more than two dozen different chronic diseases.⁷ So what are you waiting? Get up and get moving!

REFERENCES

1. Berryman, J. W. (2010). “Exercise is medicine: a historical perspective,” Current Sports Medicine Reports,9(4), pp. 195-201.
2. Foreman, Judy (2020). Exercise is Medicine: How Physical Activity Boosts Health and Slows Aging. New York: Oxford University Press.
3. Katmarzyk, P.T., Church, T.S., Craig, C.L., and Bouchard, C. (2009). “Sitting time and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer,”Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 41(5), pp. 998-1005.
4. Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP).Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults (18-64 years). Retrieved from:https://csepguidelines.ca/adults-18-64.
5. Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP).Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults (65 years and older). Retrieved from:https://csepguidelines.ca/adults-65.
6. Sallis, R. E. (2009). “Exercise is medicine and physicians need to prescribe it!” British Journal of Sports Medicine,43(1), pp. 3-4.
7. Pedersen, B.K., andSaltin, B. (2015). “Exercise as medicine – evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in 26 different chronic diseases,” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine andScience in Sports, 25(S3), pp. 1-72.

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Update

With the social distancing and stay-home guidelines during the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, group fitness classesand group sports are off-limits. But in most locations you’re still allowed to get outside for fresh air and exercise, as long as you maintain social distancing guidelines, which can be a challenge when everyone goes to the same place, so choose a less popular location for outdoor exercise. Please be mindful of obeying the recommendations and guidelines in your area to help slow the spread of the virus. We all want to get back to our normal lives!