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If GPs were trained in exercise science, would they be quicker to prescribe exercise over pills, prevention over cure?
dr peter mace professor tim cable
assistant medical director • bupa wellness director of the school of sport and exercise sciences • liverpool
john moores university
“M
any of the BUPA Wellness
health advisors are sport
and exercise scientists, so we certainly “M
y impression is that GPs
don’t understand the scale of
recognise the importance of the discipline. risk reduction – in terms of coronary
I qualified as a doctor in 1976 and heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity,
spent 10 years in general practice, but if depression and mental illness – that’s
I’m honest we didn’t know that exercise afforded by people becoming physically
and sport science existed back then. active and adopting an exercise habit.
Today, most GPs know generically I think they would benefit from
that exercise is good for people, but they may not have in- a grounding in how exercise can help in all of these areas.
depth knowledge about the benefits of different forms, or how What they need is a programme – designed by the NHS in
hard individuals should be exercising. collaboration with universities that run exercise and sport
It’s hard to say whether there’s a gap in training, as existing GPs science degrees – to outline the impact of exercise on pathology,
have enough on their plate just dealing with day-to-day illness how this differs from the impact that drugs have, and the benefit
needs at the moment. And generally speaking, the role of health of having a combined drug and exercise approach to reduce risk.
promotion in most general practices is devolved to the practice Above this, however, I think there’s a huge lack of
nurse – there’s an argument that they would benefit the most understanding that highly-trained, knowledgeable sport
from learning about sport science and the advantages of exercise. scientists exist in the first place. If the NHS is to get serious
However, I think there’s an opportunity to inform GPs about exercise prescription, it’s vitally important that they take
that sport and exercise scientists might be able to help in advantage of well-trained exercise physiologists, employing
exercise referral schemes. There are GP trainee groups which them in a hospital setting and in a wider PCT context, such that
meet regularly for lectures; this would seem the appropriate information will eventually feed down to GP referral and local
platform in which to do this.
”
council leisure centres.
”
august 2009 © cybertrek 2009 Read Health Club Management online 29
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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