In years past, doctors would always ask patients about physical fitness.

Getting the body moving is not only great for general health, but it also helps fight chronic disease. Wanting to elevate it to a vital sign, the Exercise is Medicine Program was born.

Now, Exercise is Medicine is in 50 countries. Doctors prescribe physical activity as part of treatment plans. Some prescriptions are disease-based so the patients can address chronic disease issues before they worsen.

You are your best health advocate. Speak with your doctor about how fitness can improve your health.

Dr. Pam Peeke discusses the Exercise is Medicine Program.

Everyone has to start somewhere with physical fitness. If you're just getting going for the first time or returning after some time off, becoming active doesn't have to be a daunting task.

Start by taking five minutes to do something. Make it easy on yourself by finding an exercise that interests you and do it for five minutes.

Break the ice with baby steps. Show yourself you can pull it off and then go a little further. Get into a routine on a gradient.

You may have to make an appointment in your calendar as you make fitness a habit. You can also use an app to help track your progress.

Branch out and try different fitness classes that catch your interest. If you hate them, you don't have to return. You may just find something you love that keeps you motivated.

Dr. Pam Peeke joins host Melanie Cole to share tips to get your body moving.

A recent study showed that men 65-75 had fitness success by playing recreational soccer.

Older folks don't always get into traditional fitness programs (jogging or gym), so soccer is a wonderful alternative.

Playing soccer helps with overall fitness. It improves bone density and muscle mass. It's great for endurance and cardio health.

More importantly, having fitness buddies helps keep you on track. The men from the study continued playing with the same people a few years after the study ended.

For these silver foxes, it was more about fun than it was about winning. Teams would swap players so no one would always be on the lowest-scoring team. Recreational soccer was so popular with these fellows that there were always willing participants on the bench. If a player on the field got tired, one of the men from the bench would tag in for him.

Dr. John Higgins joins host Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss how recreational soccer is great for fitness in aging folks.

Many restaurants now disclose how many calories each menu option contains.

The idea is for diners to weigh their options with caloric value in mind. If you know you should only have 1500 calories a day, you might decide to go for the 500-calorie salad and skip the soft drink instead of the 560-calorie burger and 500-calorie fries.

All calories are not created equal. Your body will process 200 calories of lean meat differently from 200 calories of candy. The caloric labeling on menus is a step in the right direction, but it doesn't disclose what it takes to utilize all of the calories you're consuming.

An activity equivalent labeling system would disclose how much physical activity is necessary to burn off different meal choices. Would you still choose the burger and fries if you knew it would take two hours of high-impact aerobics to work them off? Would you choose something better for your body?

Dr. John Higgins joins host Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss the usefulness of an activity equivalent labeling system.

Spring is in the air, and it’s the perfect time to move your workout into the great outdoors. 

There are many benefits to taking your workout outdoors. You may find yourself exercising for longer and not feeling your workout as much because you’re distracted by blooming flowers and chirping birds. You may burn more calories from the resistance that nature provides. Nature doesn’t require gym fees. And, you can get more vitamin D and rejuvenating fresh air by exercising in the elements.

Listen in as fitness experts, Grace DeSimone and Neal Pire, discuss how to take your workout outside.

Wearable fitness trackers are great for getting you moving. Your fancy new device will have you motivated and interested in your fitness, at least for a while. You’ll check your steps and calories burned for a bit, hopefully using your device to improve your activity.

But, in the end, is your fitness tracker worth the expense? Do you really need all the bells and whistles it claims to have? How reliable is the information it tracks? What is your wearable really telling you?

Listen in as fitness experts, Grace DeSimone and Neal Pire break down the pros and cons of fitness trackers.

Sometimes you need a little extra encouragement to get your body moving.

Even the thought of taking a short walk can be exhausting when you aren't used to it. Typically, those who have the least desire to become active are the ones who need it most.

Dr. David Sabgir founded Walk with a Doc to encourage people to get active. People can join up with walking groups around the world to get moving in a very welcoming environment. Walkers range from joggers to people with walkers to families with dogs.

Dr. Sabgir joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share how Walk with a Doc is changing lives.

You might think that you need to spend hours and hours in the gym each week to maintain or improve your health.

While strength training and gym activities provide their own benefits, you can help your body with just 20 minutes of moderate physical activity per day.

Brisk walking is great for those who are not physically prepared to kick things up a notch. Start slowly and build in intensity. If you have a chronic health condition, it’s best to consult with your doctor before undertaking physical activity outside of your norm.

Dr. David Sabgir joins host Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss the benefits of moderate physical activity.

Technology has improved by leaps and bounds when it comes to health tracking.

Old school pedometers that would reset if you jumped are now a thing of the past. Cell phones and wearable devices can track heart rate, calories burned and more.

However, the accuracy of these wearable devices is questionable. The varying results between devices is okay for tracking workouts. The inconsistency between devices is not ideal for medical purposes.

Dr. John Higgins joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss how reliable health devices are for tracking health data.

The average desk worker spends almost six hours a day sitting at a desk.

The break from sitting is usually for a trip to the water cooler or the copier. Sitting all day for years at a job contributes to chronic diseases, like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

A quick trip to the gym after work doesn’t balance out the hours of sitting. The commute home, also spent sitting, may even be just as long as that workout at the gym.

Standing desks get desk workers on their feet. Standing burns up to 50 more calories per hour than sitting. It activates the metabolism. Most importantly, standing makes movement easier. Staying active at your standing desk is more beneficial than just standing all day.

Dr. John Higgins joins host Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss the benefits of standing desks.