Visit to the gym might be what the doctor orders

For one Cape Breton man, time at the gym is just what the doctor ordered.

Frank Pratt was prescribed exercise at Sydney's YMCA after he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

"I am admittedly not a healthy eater," Pratt told Information Morning Cape Breton. "I've never seen a meal I didn't like."

Pratt, who also has cerebral palsy, said he had been intimidated to join a gym until he walked into the YMCA. He said there were people from all walks of life and ranges of ability there.

"I encourage anybody… who has any fear of, 'I won't fit in, this isn't for me,'" he said. "I had those fears, too. I was incredibly afraid."

But he stuck it out, knowing it was the way to better health.

Pratt met Janice Curnew, the manager of programming at the YMCA of Cape Breton. She helped tailor a program for Pratt.

Curnew said it is important for people to come on and talk to a staff member about reaching goals.

She said every prescription is different. Some people she sees are at the YMCA for pain management, while others may have suffered a cardiovascular event, or are in need of weight loss. 

Not just for physical health

Pratt's workout included time in the facility's pool, something he said helped him deal with anxiety and depression.

"When I hit the pool, everything goes away," he said. "I focus on the pool, the feeling of the water hitting me."

Pratt's prescription included six weeks of free gym time, but is now a part of the YMCA's subsidized program. He's been on his program for eight months and has lost 30 pounds.

Although he isn't Pratt's doctor, Dr. Steven MacDougall is one of many doctors in CBRM prescribing exercise at the YMCA for patients. 

He said he didn't have time to sit down and come up with exercise and diet suggestions during appointments. Now when he thinks a patient needs help with an exercise regime, he prescribes exercise at the YMCA, where patients can sit down with Curnew.

MacDougall said exercise, or lack thereof, can play a huge role in personal health.

"There is evidence that a sedentary lifestyle is probably a stronger predictor for mortality than smoking or diabetes," he said.

A growing trend

Health consultant Mary Jane Hampton said prescriptions for exercise are becoming more common across Canada.

She cited a program that started in Alberta in 2008 where doctors paired up with recreational facilities and gave out free, temporary memberships.

"What they discovered was rates of physical activity went up significantly, not just for that period but it actually became an ongoing commitment," said Hampton.

Hampton said although she hears concerns about what happens once that membership runs out, she said it's still beneficial as it gets people on the right track.

She adds there are many exercise programs that are cheap, free or subsidized through health authorities and community organizations.

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