Exercise: Issues for prescribing psychologists

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Abstract
Exercise has been associated with many psychological and physiological benefits. Increasing numbers of psychologists wish to prescribe exercise for their clients. The article warns that to do so requires special training. The author reviews the issues involved in exercise prescription: benefits and risks, nonadherence, exercise ignorance, safety, professional domain violations, ethical responsibility, and legal liability. The review concludes with recommendations for additional training and responsible exercise prescription for individual therapists and calls for an interdisciplinary task force to clarify remaining issues of certification, domain, and medical screening and referral. Such issue resolution should remove barriers to exercise prescription and exercise research.