Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Book (Copyright 1997, 288 pages)
In 1995 leading exercise scientists and medical specialists convened in Bethesda, Maryland, under the sponsorship of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to review the evidence of physical activity's influencing cardiovascular health. This reference presents the Consensus Statement from the 1995 Conference on Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health and the supporting papers presented there. The 28 papers document: public health problems of sedentary lifestyles, current data and opinions on the contributions of different types and amounts of physical activity to reducing cardiovascular disease, and the role that exercise has in rehabilitating people with cardiovascular disease. This NIH conference report complements and augments the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity. Readers also will find successful approaches for implementing and maintaining physical activity programs for various populations, including older adults and people with disabilities. About the Author Arthur S. Leon, MD, is the Henry L. Taylor professor and director of the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene and Exercise Science in the Division of Kinesiology as well as adjunct professor and Chief Cardiologist in the Department of Medicine's Heart Disease Prevention Clinic at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Dr. Leon, who earned his MD in 1957 from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, has studied the effects of physical activity on cardiovascular health for more than 32 years. His research has contributed significantly to recent recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Surgeon General's Report on the health benefits of regular physical activity. A Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the Epidemiology and Preventive Cardiology Council, Dr. Leon also is a member of the editorial board for the Surgeon General's Report. He won the AAPHERD's William G. Anderson Award in 1981 and ACSM Citation Award in 1995. Dr. Leon lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with his wife, Gloria. He enjoys jogging and exercise, gardening, and watching University of Minnesota basketball games. Table of Contents Introduction: Charge to the Panel, John H. Ferguson NIH Consensus Statement Part I. An Overview of the Field Physical Activity, Lifestyle, and Cardiovascular Health, William L. Haskell Part II. Burden of Physical Inactivity to the Population's Health