Exercise is the best, cheapest, and most accessible medicine available, and in order to improve chronic disease mortality rates, people need to move more. Exercise Right is partnering with Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) Australia to help empower doctors around Australia to prescribe exercise as medicine with FREE online education accredited by ACRRM.

According to research published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, medical students enrolled in a five-year medical degree spend an average of just five hours learning about exercise and physical activity. This can lead to a gap in doctors utilising exercise as medicine and referring their patients to experts of exercise – Accredited Exercise Physiologists.

Accredited Exercise Physiologists are the best placed allied health professionals for prescribing exercise to those living with chronic conditions, and currently, approximately half of all Australians are currently living with a chronic health condition.

A referral from a doctor or GP is one of the easiest ways for Australians to gain subsidised access to an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. In light of this, Exercise Right for Doctors aims to educate doctors and nurses about the benefits of prescribing exercise to their patients and the importance of referring to an Accredited Exercise Physiologist.

The FREE online education accredited by ACRRM is a great way to learn more about the benefits of exercise prescription for your patients. The course has been designed to highlight the importance of exercise for overall health and introduces subsequent behaviour-change strategies specific to the adoption of exercise as a regular part of their lifestyle. It also highlights the supporting role of Accredited Exercise Physiologists in assisting patients to establish an exercise program best suited to their needs.

The course takes approximately 2 hours to complete and is eligible for CPD points with ACRRM.

To find out more about Exercise Right for Doctors, as well as access the range of free education and resources, visit the Exercise Right website.