As Effective as Medications.

Doctors from the Stanford University School of Medicine reviewed the results of 305 studies involving over 300,000 patients and have determined that exercise may be as effective as medication in preventing early death in people who’ve had heart attacks or strokes. Furthermore, regular exercise lowers the risk of early death, helps one stay lean, and reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, some cancers, and cognitive decline. Despite this information, only 21% of American adults meet the government’s recommendations for exercise: 150 minutes per week of moderately intense aerobic activity and muscle strengthening activities two days a week that work all the major muscle groups.
British Medical Journal, January 2014