Indigenous ways of encouraging physical activity

While guidelines recommend 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity daily, in order to manage diabetes or lose weight, it is difficult to motivate patients to do so. A wide variety of factors, ranging from biomedical (metabolic and musculoskeletal) to psychological and social, contribute to this. This communication describes socially accepted indigenous forms of physical activity, exercise and sports, which are easy to initiate and sustain. This information empowers physicians and other health care professionals to encourage lifestyle modification in a person-centred, community-oriented manner.