Evidence now suggests that exercise can reduce high blood pressure as well as fat, when compared to drugs. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor will recommend a drug to lower it thereby reducing your risk of a stroke or another possible health problem. If you have problems with visceral fat or type 2 diabetes, they may have recommended a drug for that such as metformin. While the drug approach has become the accepted standard by the healthcare community and the public, exercise is a scientifically proven option as well. The NY Times report on The American College of Sports Medicines Exercise is Medicine global initiative says the current scientific evidence shows that exercise can reduce abdominal fat and blood pressure as well as medication. Medications are costly and require a prescription because they are dangerous if used improperly and also may require you to see your doctor periodically to monitor their usage. Is it healthy to be so dependent on medicines and doctors? What does this mean to you? Staying physically fit can reduce blood pressure and excess abdominal fat. This should make your local primary care doctor and your employer who no doubt pays for your health insurance happier, as you require fewer drugs, which reduces your overall healthcare costs. Companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Meyers Squibb, two NJ companies that have employees who use these facilities. These companies have known for years that healthier employees are more productive at work, have fewer sick days and are likely to have lower overall healthcare costs. Healthier employees lower healthcare costs. Check out this recent article in the NY Times Exercise vs. Drugs to Treat High Blood Pressure and Reduce Fat Exercise can lower blood pressure and reduce visceral body fat at least as effectively as many common prescription drugs, two new reviews report. By Gretchen Reynolds March 13, 2019 Exercise can lower blood pressure and reduce visceral body fat at least as effectively as many common prescription drugs, according to two important new reviews of relevant research about the effects of exercise on maladies. Together, the new studies support the idea that exercise can be considered medicine, and potent medicine at that. But they also raise questions about whether we know enough yet about the types and amounts of exercise that might best treat different health problems and whether we really want to start thinking of our workouts as remedies. The possibility of formally prescribing exercise as a treatment for various health conditions, including high blood pressure, insulin resistance, obesity, osteoarthritis and others, has been gaining traction among scientists and physicians. The American College of Sports Medicine already leads a global initiative called Exercise Is Medicine, which aims to encourage doctors to include exercise prescriptions as part of disease treatments. Read more