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2 R SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2019 | | News A13 en in England were classified as inactive, meaning that they engaged in less exercise last year than the minimum amount that is recommend- ed. Nextbike, the company that provides the bicycle service for patients in Cardiff, offers rentals inmany Euro- pean cities. Mareike Rauch- haus, a spokeswoman for the company, said it participated in a program that allowed people to claim a prize from their health-insurance pro- vider if they cycled to work. “Whilst we are aware of the many benefits of exercise for our patients, people are sometimes reluctant to en- gage,” said Dr. Karen Pardy, a family doctor who is partic- ipating in the program in Cardiff. Pardy said she hoped pre- scriptions would encourage people to “have a go at cy- cling around Cardiff” and realize how the activity can support their well-being. to issue prescriptions within Britain’s National Health Service. “If you think about the pharmaceutical industry, it’s designed not necessarily as curative but to treat the symptoms,” Dale Esliger, the leader of the Loughborough program, said in a telephone interview Friday. “And, of course, the side effects of exercise are generally posi- tive.” The need for the program is apparent, according to a new statistic. The National Health Service said it had recorded 711,000 hospital admissions related to obesity last year in England, a 15 percent increase compared to the year before. The British government recommends at least 2.5 hours of moderate activity or 75minutes of vigorous activ- ity spread across the week. But the National Health Service said that more than 20 percent of men and wom- tors and nurses to refer pa- tients for supervised physical activity at centers and gyms. More recently, a new course at Loughborough University in England was created to educate exercise scientists, with the goal of getting them the accreditation necessary The Cardiff program fol- lows a similar effort in Bos- ton, where in 2014 the city made it possible for doctors to prescribe bikes to low-in- come patients. Britain introduced an exercise-prescription frame- work in 2001, allowing doc- automatic majority. More to the point, some observers see 2019 as only the beginning in a long-term fight. The council’s current progressive tilt “took half a generation to create, so don’t think that the Chamber of Commerce can resolve this problem in one or two elec- tion cycles,” says Alex Hays, a Republican political consul- tant. When it comes to shifting the city’s political trajectory back toward the center, says Hays, “you all need to play the long game.” Paul Roberts: 206-464-2951 or proberts@seattletimes.com ; on Twitter: @Pauledroberts. down April 5. Given Seattle’s progressive voters, there’s a reasonable chance that at least one of those moderate seats will be filled by a pro- gressive. As a result, some political observers think Seattle is headed toward an election that will be bitterly contested and extremely expensive, yet unlikely to produce a new, business-friendly majority. Still, business remains upbeat. Even if the election results in just one or two more council moderates, that might still be enough to end a progressive majority and create a situation where no single viewpoint will have an illustrates another complica- tion for business: Though Herbold has been a reliable progressive vote on the coun- cil, she also has been careful to court small businesses in her district. Lastly, business faces some daunting electoral math. True, the council’s progres- sive wing could lose three members: O’Brien (retiring), and Sawant and Herbold, who are vulnerable. But the council is also losing its three most business- friendly incumbents. Bruce Harrell and Sally Bag- shaw are retiring this year and Rob Johnson, CASE’s 2015 candidate, stepped vote army. That will be a key advantage given the local nature of district campaigns, and one that business may have trouble matching. And, of course, big-dollar donations by Amazon and other companies will be easy targets for progressive candi- dates. In 2015, when Herbold faced a business-backed opponent, Shannon Brad- dock, “we incorporated the chamber’s spending in our campaignmessaging and that really resonated,” says Dean Nielsen, a Seattle polit- ical consultant who is also working with Herbold this year. Herbold’s strategy identify as liberal or very liberal. Progressives can also count on generous support from traditional progressive con- stituencies, like labor. As an example, Mosqueda benefit- ed from$208,000 in indepen- dent expenditures from labor organizations in her success- ful 2017 campaign, andmost observers expect to see even higher numbers this year. Business can probably outspend labor. But thanks to new restrictions on social-me- dia political ads, there may simply be fewer places to spend that money. And labor can compensate with a large, well-organized get-out-the- ness community has finally found a winning political formula. With high voter frustration and so many open seats, it’s possible the election could produce a council majority that, if not openly pro-busi- ness, is at least more recep- tive to the business commu- nity’s agenda of lower taxes and less regulation. Yet most political observ- ers believe business still faces an uphill battle in Seattle. For starters, Seattle pro- gressives can still count on substantial support from voters, 62 percent of whom < Continued from previous page pilot, we want tomake sure the scheme works as intend- ed and is easy to use for pa- tients and their health pro- fessionals, so we’ll be seeking feedback fromparticipants,” Dr. TomPorter of the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said in a statement. “If the approach proves success- ful, we’ll look at making it more widely available across the city.” Recent research supports the idea that exercise can be consideredmedicinal, and studies have shown its effi- ciency, comparable to drugs, in treating conditions such as high blood pressure and obesity. Other initiatives like Exer- cise inMedicine, by the American College of Sports Medicine, encourage doctors to prescribe exercise as a part of treatment. By PALKO KARASZ The New York Times LONDON—A new pro- gram inWales will allow family doctors to offer pa- tients an unusual prescrip- tion for better health: bicy- cles. The pilot program is the first such initiative in Britain, according to the health board that is leading it; it reflects an effort by medical profession- als around the world to give patients alternatives to drugs to avoid side effects and to improve cost efficiency. Patients at twomedical centers in Cardiff, theWelsh capital, will be offered six- month subscriptions to a bike-rental service that al- lows them tomake unlimited free rides of up to 30minutes at a time, and officials hope to expand the program. “For the first phase of the Doctor’s prescription? Ride a bike T OM J AM I E S ON / T H E N EW Y O R K T I ME S Doctors in Wales can now offer free bike rides to encour- age people to exercise under a pilot program, the first in NATION&WORLD NEW SEASONS MARKET Vendor Boot Camp May 15, 4-6pm New Seasons Market builds community through good food — acting as a conduit between the producers, makers and growers, and the people they nourish. We know a thing or two about how local, small-batch goods get a spot on the grocery shelf. And we want to share. Come to our Vendor Boot Camp, and learn all about invoicing, demos, delivery, distribution, and more. RSVP now at localfindsor@newseasonsmarket.com Ventures Office 2100 24th Ave S. Seattle, WA 98144