Esentepe Mah. Büyükdere Cad. No:102 Kat:16 Maya Akar Şişli / İstanbul - Türkiye

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Exercise is Medicine Turkey

The American Medical Association and the American College of Sports Medicine developed the Exercise is Medicine initiative in 2007, coordinated by the American College of Sports Medicine.

The aim of the program is to encourage primary care physicians and health care providers to include physical activity in the preparation of disease prevention and treatment plans and to encourage its prescription by physicians.

Activities in 2015

Exercise is Medicine Turkey initiative Istanbul was selected as the pilot region and since 2015, family physicians have been visited by our 3 field representatives, informed about the subject and introduced to exercise prescriptions. Research shows that exercise has a role in the treatment and prevention of more than 40 chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and high blood pressure.

Exercise is Medicine Turkey initiative Istanbul has been selected as the pilot region and since 2015, we have been visiting family physicians with our 3 field representatives, informing them about the subject and introducing them to exercise prescriptions. Research shows that exercise has a role in the treatment and prevention of more than 40 chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and high blood pressure.

Following the visits of our field representatives, family physicians begin to give written physical activity recommendations to their patients. Prescriptions are made to reduce physical inactivity, which is one of the biggest problems of our age.

Over the course of 2015, 85% of family physicians in Istanbul, i.e. nearly 2,850 of them, were visited by our field representatives and prescriptions for Exercise is Medicine were left. It is known that the number of individuals connected to a family physician in Istanbul is approximately 3,500 people. In light of this information, approximately 10 million registered population was reached. Since 2015, our field representatives have distributed around 1.1 million Exercise is Medicine prescriptions to family physicians.

The World Health Organization recommends that individuals walk for 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. Our family physicians also advise their patients on exercise and physical activity in accordance with their social, economic and health conditions.

Our field representatives received very positive comments about the Exercise is Medicine project during their second visit to family physicians. We are even more excited by the good feedback we receive, such as patients who are recommended by their family physicians to start walking and to go walking in groups on certain days of the week.

Exercise is Happiness.

2016 Activities

The association, the licensor of Exercise is Medicine™ in Turkey, was awarded the "Leadership and Excellence" certificate from the American College of Sports for its activities in Turkey.

The videos of the series "Your Health Prescription in 40 Diseases" are available here.