Just to clarify:

The linked study suggested the regular exercise was better than "usual care" for anxiety and depression ("stress" is not a diagnostic category). "Usual care" for the vast majority of people:

(1) does not include ANY therapy

(2) involves improperly prescribed drugs by general practitioners with zero training in the treatment of mental illness

The upsides of your column are that nowadays, I would say at least 90% of trained practitioners (social workers, counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists) are aware of the benefits of exercise and over half of them recommend it.

The percentage of people who follow through with their practitioner's recommendations?

Somewhere between 5 and 15%. I know a LOT of medical AND mental health professionals who, after decades of recommending physical exercise to their patients with near-zero follow through, give up.

Finally, EVERYONE knows that physical activity is good for all kinds of things.

Nobody seems to know how to get people to do it.

And, as we all know, the best exercise is the one you actually do.

Robert, you've recommended "exercise breaks" - something I have recommended to all my patients. how many follow through?

Very few.

Same with sleep habits, eating, etc.

This needs a community-wide, city/state/national/international coordinated response.

Will it happen?

I'm not holding my breath (except when I'm actually practicing breathing exercises!!)