UK study finds that exercise can be as good as medicine

A recent report in the British Medical Journal looked at hundreds of trials involving roughly 340,000 people to see what the effects of exercise were in preventing death. It was found that 'moderate exercise' was as good as medicine in some conditions. This would include swimming, fast walking, light running and cycling. For heart failure patients, medicines called diuretics were clearly better while exercise was best for stroke patients in terms of life expectancy.

Overall, medical experts  stressed that both exercise and medicines should be used in tandem with each other for maximum effect rather than one on their own.

In the UK, only about 30% of the population do the recommended amount of 2.5 hours of moderate exercise each week.

A spokesperson for the British Heart Foundation said....."Medicines are an extremely important part of the treatment of many heart conditions and people on prescribed drugs should keep taking their vital meds. If you have a heart condition or have been told you're at high risk of heart disease, talk to your doctor about the role that exercise can play in your treatment."
A spokesperson for the British Stroke Association said...."We would like to see more research into the long-term benefits of exercise for stroke patients. By taking important steps, such as regular exercise, eating a balanced diet and stopping smoking, people can significantly reduce their risk of stroke. Moderate physical activity, for example, can reduce the risk of stroke by up to 27%."