Adherence
Counselling sedentary adults on physical activity in general practice, supported by ongoing telephone contact, significantly increases leisure time physical activity and improves quality of life over 12 months.
If you are sedentary, ask your doctor for a 'green prescription' for physical activity. This involves a brief discussion about setting goals, followed by support calls from an exercise specialist. This approach has been shown to significantly increase your weekly exercise time and improve your overall quality of life over a year.
Counselling patients in general practice on exercise is effective in increasing physical activity and improving quality of life over 12 months.
Why this rating
Cluster randomized controlled trial with high follow-up rates (85%) and a large, diverse sample, though self-reported activity has inherent bias.
Source
Effectiveness of counselling patients on physical activity in general practice: cluster randomised controlled trial
C. Raina Elley et al. · BMJ · 2003
DOI 10.1136/bmj.326.7393.793
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
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →