By Dr Ovundah Nyeche
I often ask my patients during consultations:
“Do you have a smartwatch?”
Or:
“Do you have a fitness or health tracker on your phone?”
One reason is simple: these tools can help us become more aware of just how active—or inactive—we are.
Exercise as a Prescription
Regular physical activity is a vital part of lifestyle medicine. It is also an important component of the non-pharmacological management of hypertension and many other chronic health conditions.
And yes, I deliberately use the word prescription.
Exercise should be prescribed.
Just as medications are prescribed with a particular dose and frequency, physical activity should be discussed deliberately and tailored to the individual.
What type of activity should the person undertake? How much should they do? How often should they do it? At what intensity? Most importantly, what is safe and appropriate for that individual?
These questions matter because exercise is not a one-size-fits-all prescription. A person’s age, current fitness level, medical history, health conditions, physical limitations, and personal preferences should all be considered.
Practising What I Preach
Recently, I checked my activity tracker and saw that I had completed more than 7,000 steps that day.
I smiled.
I was practising what I preach.
In medicine, we often focus on tablets and rightly so when they are indicated. However, lifestyle remains a powerful part of both prevention and treatment.
One principle I find particularly useful is this:
Consistency beats intensity.
You do not need expensive exercise equipment or a gym membership to become more active. Something as simple as walking can be beneficial.
Walk a little more. Take the stairs when you can. Break up prolonged periods of sitting. Find an activity you enjoy, and gradually make movement part of your everyday life.
You do not have to become an athlete overnight.
Start where you are. Keep moving. Stay consistent.
Life Is Movement
At the entrance of the Orthopaedic Ward of a teaching hospital here in Port Harcourt is a statement that has always stayed with me:
“Life is movement.”
Simple words. Profound truth.
Scripture also says:
“For bodily exercise profits a little…”
1 Timothy 4:8
Indeed, it profits.
Perhaps the question we should ask ourselves each day is not only, “Did I take my medication?”
We should also ask:
“How much did I move today?”
Your heart was designed to move.
Keep moving. Stay consistent.
#HearWord
If you have a medical condition or have been inactive for a long time, speak with a qualified healthcare professional before beginning a new exercise programme—particularly one involving vigorous activity.
