The heterogeneity in reported effects was reduced in higher quality studies , when physical activity was self-directed with some professional guidance and when there was on-going professional support .
Our review suggests that physical activity interventions have a moderate effect on self reported physical activity and cardio-respiratory fitness , but not on achieving a predetermined level of physical activity .
Due to the clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the studies , only limited conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of individual components of the interventions .
BACKGROUND Little is known about the effectiveness of strategies to enable people to achieve an increase in their physical activity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of interventions for promoting physical activity in adults aged 16 years and older , not living in an institution .
Reduction in cardiovascular disease risk factors: 6-month results from Project Active.
BACKGROUND Project Active is a r and omized clinical trial that compares a lifestyle physical activity intervention with a traditional structured exercise intervention . The purpose of this paper is to report 6-month results of these interventions on cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk factors among healthy , sedentary , middle-aged men and women , and to examine the psychological strategies used in each group ( Lifestyle and Structured ) to reach the level of physical activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and American College of Sports Medicine ( ACSM ) and to achieve changes in these CVD risk factors . METHODS A total of 116 initially sedentary men ( mean + /- SD self-reported physical activity , 33.2 + /- 1.4 kcal.kg-1.day-1 ) and 119 women ( 32.9 + /- 1.0 kcal.kg-1.day-1 ) , ages 35 - 60 years ( 46.0 + /- 6.7 years ) were r and omly assigned to a 6-month lifestyle physical activity counseling intervention or a 6-month gymnasium-based structured program . At baseline and 6 months , changes in lipid and lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations , blood pressure , and body composition and cognitive and behavioral measures of change were assessed . One-way analyses of variance with covariate adjustment were used to test for between-group differences in CVD risk factors . Associations between achieving the CDC/ACSM criterion and changes in cognitive and behavioral measures were assessed with multiple logistic regression models . RESULTS After 6 months of intervention , 78 % of Lifestyle participants and 85 % of Structured participants were meeting or exceeding the CDC/ACSM recommendation of accumulating 30 min or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most , preferably all , days of the week . This was verified by a significant increase in cardiorespiratory fitness in both groups . The adjusted mean increase in maximal METs ( VO2peak divided by 3.5 ml.kg-1.min-1 ) between treadmill tests was 0.4 kcal.kg-1.hr-1 ( P < 0.001 ) for Lifestyle and 1.1 kcal.kg-1.hr-1 ( P < 0.001 ) for Structured . There was a significant difference between intervention groups for this outcome . Both groups had significant reductions in total cholesterol , total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio , diastolic blood pressure , and percentage of body fat . There were no significant between-group differences in changes in these outcomes . Adjusted mean changes in total cholesterol , systolic blood pressure , and percentage of body fat in Lifestyle [ in Structured ] participants were -0.2 [ -0.3 ] mmol . L-1 , -3.2[-1.8 ] mm Hg , and -1.4 [ -1.7 ] % , respectively . There were significant associations between achieving the CDC/ACSM physical activity criterion and greater use of the cognitive and behavioral strategies of change . Both groups changed self-efficacy and many of the behavioral measures , but there were no significant differences between intervention groups . CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that lifestyle physical activity counseling is as effective as structured exercise programs in increasing physical activity and improving CVD risk factors after 6 months among initially sedentary men and women . Furthermore , specific cognitive and behavioral counseling strategies were increased significantly as a result of the intervention . These strategies are effective and could be used in a wide variety of setting
The heterogeneity in reported effects was reduced in higher quality studies , when physical activity was self-directed with some professional guidance and when there was on-going professional support .
Our review suggests that physical activity interventions have a moderate effect on self reported physical activity and cardio-respiratory fitness , but not on achieving a predetermined level of physical activity .
Due to the clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the studies , only limited conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of individual components of the interventions .
BACKGROUND Little is known about the effectiveness of strategies to enable people to achieve an increase in their physical activity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of interventions for promoting physical activity in adults aged 16 years and older , not living in an institution .