P articipation in regular physical activity provides numerous health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The Healthy People 2010 goals for the United States are to increase the quality and years of healthy life and to eliminate health disparities among residents. Physical activity patterns vary with age, education, income, and race. The proportion of women classified as sedentary and insufficiently active increases with age and is highest among women with the lowest education and income. These data suggest that most adult women in the United States may be at increased risks for chronic diseases and conditions associated with sedentary lifestyles and irregular physical activity patterns.
Recent studies show that women obtain most of their physical activity in nonexercise settings.
Women with the most social support for exercise were more likely to exercise regularly as compared with women receiving less support for exercise. What Physicians Can Do Physicians can play a vital role in encouraging female patients to engage in physical activity. Since many women do not report participating in sports and structured exercise, physicians can suggest that women adopt a more physically active lifestyle. Although women have been shown to be less active than men, avenues exist for them to increase physical activity and reap the benefits of increased activity. Future research must focus on how to address multicultural differences in women's physical activity patterns and how to educate physicians on how best to motivate women and all patients of diverse backgrounds.