Adherence
Long-term (4.5 years) physiotherapist-provided physical activity on prescription (PaP) significantly increases exercise capacity (EC) in physically inactive patients with metabolic risk factors, demonstrating that sustained behavioral change is achievable in primary care.
If you are inactive and have metabolic risks, standard short-term advice may not be enough. A long-term, individually tailored plan with regular check-ins from a physiotherapist can significantly improve your exercise capacity over several years, which is linked to better longevity. The key is sustained, personalized support, not just a one-time prescription.
Compared to baseline, the whole cohort exhibited a significantly increased exercise capacity (9.1 W, p = 0.014) with a small effect size (r = 0.27)... the increased exercise capacity may indicate positive effects on longevity, and consolidates previous findings that long-term behavior change is possible among physically inactive patients.
Why this rating
Quasi-experimental design with no control group and high drop-out rate (58%) limits causal inference, though the long duration and objective measurement add strength.
Source
Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists
Daniel Karsberg Zotterman et al. · Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care · 2025
DOI 10.1080/02813432.2025.2450376
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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