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 .
Mechanisms behind the superior effects of interval vs continuous training on glycaemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled trial
Abstract Aims /hypothesisBy use of a parallel and partly crossover r and omised , controlled trial design we sought to eluci date the underlying mechanisms behind the advantageous effects of interval walking training ( IWT ) compared with continuous walking training ( CWT ) on glycaemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes . We hypothesised that IWT , more than CWT , would improve insulin sensitivity including skeletal muscle insulin signalling , insulin secretion and disposition index ( DI ) . Methods By simple r and omisation ( sequentially numbered , opaque sealed envelopes ) , eligible individuals ( diagnosed with type 2 diabetes , no exogenous insulin treatment ) were allocated to three groups : a control group ( CON , n = 8) , an IWT group ( n = 12 ) and an energy expenditure-matched CWT group ( n = 12 ) . Training groups were prescribed free-living training , five sessions per week ( 60 min/session ) . A three-stage hyperglycaemic clamp , including glucose isotope tracers and skeletal muscle biopsies , was performed before and after a 4 month intervention in a hospitalised setting . No blinding was performed . Results The improved glycaemic control , which was only seen in the IWT group , was consistent with IWT-induced increases in insulin sensitivity index ( 49.8 ± 14.6 % ; p < 0.001 ) , peripheral glucose disposal ( 14.5 ± 4.9 % ; p < 0.05 ) and DI ( 66.2 ± 21.8 % ; p < 0.001 ) , with no changes in the CWT or CON group . Moreover , only IWT  improved insulin signalling in skeletal muscle via increased insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of AS160 ( 29.0 ± 10.8 % ; p < 0.05 ) . No changes were seen in insulin secretion during hyperglycaemia alone , hyperglycaemia + glucagon-like peptide 1 infusion or arginine injection . Conclusions /interpretationIWT maintains insulin secretion and improves insulin sensitivity and DI , in contrast to energy expenditure-matched CWT . These results suggest that training with alternating intensity , and not just training volume and mean intensity , is a key determinant of changes in whole body glucose disposal in individuals with type 2 diabetes . Trial registration : Clinical Trials ( NCT01234155 )
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 .