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 .
Effects of nurse counseling on walking for exercise in elderly primary care patients.
Background . Counseling sedentary primary care patients can increase physical activity , but whether this approach will increase exercise and fitness in elderly adults with chronic diseases remains to be determined . Methods . After receiving individualized nurse counseling to begin a program of walking for health , 60- to 80-year-old primary care patients were r and omized to one of three levels of telephone contacts over 10 months : ( i ) 20 nurse-initiated calls , ( ii ) 10 nurse-initiated calls plus 10 motivational calls programmed through an automated phone calling system , or ( iii ) no program-initiated phone contacts .  Self-reported ( diary ) walking adherence was the primary outcome ; other activity , social support , health quality of life , and measured walking performance , mobility , and body mass index and girths were also assessed during the initiation ( months 1 - 6 ) and maintenance ( months 7 - 10 ) phases of the trial . Results . Average adherence for the 181 participants to the goal of walking at least 20 minutes on 3 or more days per week was 44 % for initiation and 42 % for maintenance . Participants receiving the combination of nurse-initiated personal and automated phone calls  walked significantly more frequently than those with no phone contacts . Fitness improved in all three groups ; changes were generally correlated with self-reported walking . Having a companion was associated with more frequent walking . Perceived quality of physical and mental health did not change . Conclusions . Simple and relatively inexpensive nurse contacts can motivate elderly primary care patients to walk for exercise , and this activity is associated with measurable health benefits
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 .