[Physical activity, a tool for chronic disease prevention and management]

Physical activity is a key element in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of many diseases. In the context of an adequate lifestyle, its practice amplifies the health benefits and increases the fitness, and furthermore counteracts the development and progression of chronic non-communicable diseases, modulating many risk factors. Its function is important in all life cycles and helps to keep the functional capabilities and independence even with aging. While inadequate physical activity (due to a sedentary lifestyle) is currently the fourth leading cause of mortality in developed countries, being one of the main public health issues, strong scientific evidences show that a regular and sufficient dose of physical activity reduces by about 30% the risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease and stroke, type II diabetes, colon and breast cancer, depression. Several guidelines and recommendations define the type, intensity, frequency and duration of physical activity, and many lifestyle preventative interventions prove its effectiveness and sustainability. Although so far a minority of the population actually adheres to the recommendations, the epidemiological strenght of lifestyle-oriented programs is considerable: quitting sedentariness, even low doses of physical activity are protective for health and reduce by about 22 % the risk of premature death. Physical activity is also an important therapeutic tool for patients with cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes 11, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases; an appropriate dosage reduces the risk of recurrence and disease progression, improves the control of clinical parameters and increases the patient's quality of life.