Hospitals and Healthcare

As miracle cures are hard to come by, any claims that a treatment is 100% safe and effective must always be viewed with intense scepticism. There is perhaps one exception. Physical activity has been called a miracle cure by no less a body than the Academy of Medical Sciences (http://bit.ly/2lTqDvc); and, like those who avail themselves of it, the supporting science grows stronger by the day. The BMJ recently published a systematic review showing a clear dose-response relation between physical activity and all cause mortality (doi:10.1136/bmj.l4570). The authors concluded that any level of activity is better than none, and more is better still, a message recently encapsulated in the updated guidelines from the UK’s chief medical officers (doi:10.1136/bmj.l5470).

As summarised by Christine Haseler and colleagues this week, the evidence that activity is good for both body and mind is impressive (doi:10.1136/bmj.l5230). People who are more active live longer and have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression. Physical activity is safe and beneficial for almost everyone, they say. People should “start slow and build up” to avoid injury, and those with chronic illness may benefit from a tailored exercise prescription.