Movement, Exercise, and Long-Term Health

Current evidence suggests we need an update on exercise prescriptions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) reduction or prevention. Our emphasis up until now has primarily centered on motivating patients to initiate and maintain regular exercise, specifically 30-60 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity. However, in narrowing our focus to this recommendation, we might have neglected a concurrent cultural shift in our daily behaviors. In 1960, about 15% of all U.S. jobs were sedentary; by 2008, more than 20% of U.S. jobs were sedentary, and average amount of time spent sedentary has increased from 26 hours to 38 hours per week in 2009.¹