This review summarised in detail the effects  SD exercise interventions had on sedentary middle-aged individuals alongside the adherence to the prescriptions .
SD exercise was seen to be beneficial for improving metabolic outcomes physical characteristics , cardiorespiratory fitness and functional measures
Many chronic diseases and illnesses are caused by the lifestyle , including the physical activity habits , of an individual .
As such , consistent high levels of exercise should be encouraged across the lifespan , to limit the risk of developing one of these conditions and allowing for healthy aging to occur .
Exercise prescriptions that encourage high completion and adherence rates in an independent manner and improve health related outcomes should be provided to individuals .
To date , no review has identified optimal prescriptions of exercise to achieve this in sedentary middle-aged adults and this is important , given the higher risk of developing illnesses in this population as they age .
This review examines the effects prescriptions of self-directed ( SD ) exercise has on adherence and health related outcomes in sedentary middle-aged individuals in good general health currently and aims to identify the most suitable forms of planned SD exercise that can be carried out independently .
Raisins and additional walking have distinct effects on plasma lipids and inflammatory cytokines
Background Raisins are a significant source of dietary fiber and polyphenols , which may reduce cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk by affecting lipoprotein metabolism and inflammation . Walking represents a low intensity exercise intervention that may also reduce CVD risk . The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of consuming raisins , increasing steps walked , or a combination of these interventions on blood pressure , plasma lipids , glucose , insulin and inflammatory cytokines . Results Thirty-four men and postmenopausal women were matched for weight and gender and r and omly assigned to consume 1 cup raisins/d ( RAISIN ) , increase the amount of steps walked/d ( WALK ) or a combination of both interventions ( RAISINS + WALK ) . The subjects completed a 2 wk run-in period , followed by a 6 wk intervention . Systolic blood pressure was reduced for all subjects ( P = 0.008 ) . Plasma total cholesterol was decreased by 9.4 % for all subjects ( P < 0.005 ) , which was explained by a 13.7 % reduction in plasma LDL cholesterol ( LDL-C ) ( P < 0.001 ) . Plasma triglycerides ( TG ) concentrations were decreased by 19.5 % for WALK ( P < 0.05 for group effect ) . Plasma TNF-α was decreased from 3.5 ng/L to 2.1 ng/L for RAISIN ( P < 0.025 for time and group × time effect ) . All subjects had a reduction in plasma sICAM-1 ( P < 0.01 ) . Conclusion This research shows that simple lifestyle modifications such as adding raisins to the diet or increasing steps walked have distinct beneficial effects on CVD risk
This review summarised in detail the effects  SD exercise interventions had on sedentary middle-aged individuals alongside the adherence to the prescriptions .
SD exercise was seen to be beneficial for improving metabolic outcomes physical characteristics , cardiorespiratory fitness and functional measures
Many chronic diseases and illnesses are caused by the lifestyle , including the physical activity habits , of an individual .
As such , consistent high levels of exercise should be encouraged across the lifespan , to limit the risk of developing one of these conditions and allowing for healthy aging to occur .
Exercise prescriptions that encourage high completion and adherence rates in an independent manner and improve health related outcomes should be provided to individuals .
To date , no review has identified optimal prescriptions of exercise to achieve this in sedentary middle-aged adults and this is important , given the higher risk of developing illnesses in this population as they age .
This review examines the effects prescriptions of self-directed ( SD ) exercise has on adherence and health related outcomes in sedentary middle-aged individuals in good general health currently and aims to identify the most suitable forms of planned SD exercise that can be carried out independently .