The Royal College of Nursing has endorsed the Moving Medicine tool aimed at equipping clinicians with the skills to prescribe movement and exercise.
Commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) and Sport England with support from National Lottery funding, the tool will help healthcare professionals advise patients on how physical activity can help to manage their conditions, prevent disease and aid recovery.
Maria Trewern, Chair of RCN Council, said:
“The evidence is clear – exercise is one of the best preventative tools we have to keep people healthy. Exercise can help prevent a wide range of diseases from dementia to strokes. It is also a powerful tool in the treatment of mental illness and diabetes.
"Equipping nurses and other healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to prescribe the right sorts of movement and exercise could have life-long benefits for hundreds of thousands of patients."