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 .
Recommending Self-Paced Exercise among Overweight and Obese Adults: a Randomized Pilot Study
Background National guidelines call for exercise of at least moderate intensity ; however , recommending self-paced exercise may lead to better adherence , particularly among overweight and obese adults . Purpose The purpose of this study was to test proof-of-concept for recommending self-paced exercise among overweight adults . Methods Fifty-nine healthy , low-active ( exercise < 60 min/week ) , overweight ( body mass index 25.0–39.9 ) adults ( 18–65 ) received a 6-month print-based exercise promotion program with the goal of walking 30–60 min/day . Participants were surreptitiously r and omly assigned to receive a recommendation for either self-paced ( n = 30 ) or moderate ( 64–76 % maximum heart rate ; n = 29 ) intensity exercise . All participants used electronic diaries and heart rate monitors to track exercise frequency , duration , and intensity . Results The self-paced condition reported more minutes/week of walking ( f2 = 0.17 , p = 0.045 ) and a trend toward greater exercise-related energy expenditure/week ( f2 = 0.12 , p = 0.243 ) , corresponding to approximately 26 additional minutes/week and 83 additional kilocalories/week over 6 months . Conclusions Explicit recommendation for self-paced exercise may improve adherence to exercise programs among overweight and obese adults
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 .