Cardiovascular prevention and regular physical exercise : Activity and training as the true "polypill"

Guidelines for cardiovascular prevention need to be regularly revised and updated. With respect to physical activity and exercise, many studies with practical relevance have been published in recent years. They are concerned with the evidence of physical activity for prevention of many diseases and the spectrum of indications for applying physical activity for prevention, therapy and rehabilitation. Training recommendations have been developed for the prevention of various diseases according to the FITT rule, which stands for frequency, intensity, time (of session) and type of sports followed by a progression in the amount of training. Recent publications show that moderate exercise with an increase in regular activity (e.g. 10,000 steps per day) is a sufficient approach for risk reduction in many diseases. An as yet unresolved problem is the best approach for effective motivation for physical exercise. The prescription of exercise is an important approach for improving the motivation for physical activity; however, prescribing exercise needs basic knowledge in sports physiology and proper training recommendations. Furthermore, population-based interventions for physical activity are urgently needed to implement more physical activity in the daily routine. The current ESC guidelines provide a great deal of new information to be implemented in the prevention in primary care; however, with regard to physical activity, more comprehensive biological data of physical activity should be presented in order to improve physician's knowledge, thus enhancing the fight against inactivity and sedentary lifestyles as one of the most significant risk factors.