There was no evidence for a relationship between intervention effectiveness and mode of delivery or number of intervention contacts ; however , interventions which involved individually tailoring with personalized activity goals or provision of information about local opportunities in the environment may be more effective .
Conclusions Interventions in adults aged 55 to 70 years led to long term improvements in physical activity at 12 months ; however , maintenance beyond this is unclear .
Identified physical activity improvements are likely to have substantial health benefits in reducing the risk of age-related illnesses .
Background Retirement represents a major transitional life stage in middle to older age .
Changes in physical activity typically accompany this transition , which has significant consequences for health and well-being .
The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence for the effect of interventions to promote physical activity in adults aged 55 to 70 years , focusing on studies that reported long-term effectiveness .
Harnessing motivational forces in the promotion of physical activity: the Community Health Advice by Telephone (CHAT) project.
Physical inactivity among middle- and older-aged adults is pervasive , and is linked with numerous chronic conditions that diminish health and functioning . Counselor-directed physical activity programs may enhance extrinsic motivation ( reflected in social influence theories , such as self-presentation theory ) and , in turn , physical activity adherence , while the counselor is in charge of program delivery . However , external influences can undermine intrinsic motivation , making it more difficult to maintain physical activity once counselor-initiated contact ends . In contrast , programs that diminish the socially evaluative and controlling aspects of the counseling interchange may promote intrinsic motivation ( described in cognitive evaluation theory ) , and , thus , physical activity maintenance , even when counselor-initiated contact ceases . The objective of the Community Health Advice by Telephone ( CHAT ) project is to compare these two theories by conducting a r and omized controlled trial evaluating the effects of a telephone-administered counseling program delivered by a person ( social influence enhancement ) or computer ( cognitive evaluation enhancement ) on physical activity adoption and maintenance over 18 months . Healthy , sedentary adults ( n = 225 ) aged 55 years and older are r and omized to one of these programs or to a control arm . This study will contribute to advancing motivational theory as well as provide information on the sustained effectiveness of interventions with substantial public health applicability
There was no evidence for a relationship between intervention effectiveness and mode of delivery or number of intervention contacts ; however , interventions which involved individually tailoring with personalized activity goals or provision of information about local opportunities in the environment may be more effective .
Conclusions Interventions in adults aged 55 to 70 years led to long term improvements in physical activity at 12 months ; however , maintenance beyond this is unclear .
Identified physical activity improvements are likely to have substantial health benefits in reducing the risk of age-related illnesses .
Background Retirement represents a major transitional life stage in middle to older age .
Changes in physical activity typically accompany this transition , which has significant consequences for health and well-being .
The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence for the effect of interventions to promote physical activity in adults aged 55 to 70 years , focusing on studies that reported long-term effectiveness .