Book excerpt: It is now widely accepted that there are important links between inactivity and lifestyle-related chronic diseases, and that exercise can bring tangible therapeutic benefits to people with long-term chronic conditions. Exercise and Chronic Disease: An Evidence-Based Approach offers the most up-to-date survey currently available of the scientific and clinical evidence underlying the effects of exercise in relation to functional outcomes, disease-specific health-related outcomes and quality of life in patients with chronic disease conditions. Drawing on data from randomized controlled trials and observational evidence, and written by a team of leading international researchers and medical and health practitioners, the book explores the evidence across a wide range of chronic diseases, including: cancer heart disease stroke diabetes parkinson's disease multiple sclerosis asthma. Each chapter addresses the frequency, intensity, duration and modality of exercise that might be employed as an intervention for each condition and, importantly, assesses the impact of exercise interventions in relation to outcomes that reflect tangible benefits to patients. No other book on this subject places the patient and the evidence directly at the heart of the study, and therefore this book will be essential reading for all exercise scientists, health scientists and medical professionals looking to develop their knowledge and professional practice.