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To date, there is an epidemic of physical inactivity within the Canadian population where apparently healthy, low risk, sedentary individuals are not meeting the recommended Health Canada recommendations levels of physical activity.

On average, 90 percent of Canadians are inactive (in that they are not meeting the minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week).

This is more concerning than the obesity epidemic. Our cultural evolution has outpaced our physiological evolution—Humans are designed to move!

The power of a written prescription

It is unfortunate that patients only become motivated to move more when a physician writes them a prescription for physical activity; this is our new reality. This uniquely designed prescription gives patients of all ages advice on how to increase their physical activity levels and provides them with access to resources and community recreational and fitness facilities for free. In a 2018 report, 73 percent of participants in the Prescription to Get Active program said they are more active because of this prescription, and just over 80 percent of them stated that they saw health benefits and increased their physical activity because of this program, especially when they were presented with recreation and fitness facility access.

What is Prescription to Get Active?

Prescription To Get Active (RxTGA) is a not-for-profit corporation with a program created by a passionate, diverse and experienced board of directors, and local chapters committee members in Alberta and Ontario (and growing fast).

These leaders are dedicated to improving the health of Canadians by providing an impactful program and making physical activity the most powerful prescription given. RxTGA supports individuals to become more active by collaborating with community-based recreation and fitness facilities and research community resources for accessible spaces for patients to be active where they live, work and play.

RxTGA equips doctors and their healthcare teams with the tools to educate their patients on the importance of physical activity and provide resources to ensure physical activity is an important conversation at every appointment. Click here to learn more about RxTGA.

How does the program work?

Step 1. Healthcare members identify patients who below the Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Guidelines and who are able to participate in unsupervised physical activity without medical clearance.

Step 2. Prescribers then write a specially designed prescription to their patients

Step 3. Patients record their Prescription to Get Active at www.PrescriptionToGetActive.com.

Step 4. Patients start moving at home and in their communities, access physical activity resources provided through the website and they can also fill their prescription at participating recreational and fitness facilities and receive a free trial access.

If you wish to learn more about this latest trend in fitness—‘exercise as medicine’—visit www.prescriptiontogetactive.com. To participate in this program or become a member,  you can also email info@prescriptiontogetactive.com

canfitpro is proud to support Prescription to Get Active as this will provide our members with a massive opportunity to grow their careers, their membership and clientele base while helping improve our cultural evolution to one that better serves the human race, and the health of the planet.