Promoting Exercise as Medicine for Prediabetes and Prehypertension

Prediabetes and prehypertension are conditions that reflect higher-than-normal blood glucose level and elevated blood pressure. The use of the term pre helps highlight the potentially slippery slope toward fully realized diabetes or hypertension. In both situations, recommended life-style modifications include a focus on regular exercise, including cardiorespiratory (aerobic) activity and resistance training. In spite of strong evidence related to the benefits of exercise, the number of American adults meeting even minimal targets is low. Therefore medical and health professionals should utilize strategies (including goal setting, problem solving, and relapse prevention, feedback, self-monitoring, and modeling) to encourage behavior change.