Counseling for physical activity: what primary-care physicians should know

In Connecticut, 22.1% of the adult population report no physical activity other than activities of daily living. Primary care physicians can play a vital role in the flight against a sedentary lifestyle. As outlined in Healthy People 2000 and the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, the primary-care physician's role in the assessment and advising of physical activity is critical. The primary-care physicians that responded to the Connecticut survey appear to be doing an excellent job in delivering this important message. Recommendations made by the primary-care physician can be a great source of motivation for the patient. The primary-care physician's initial goal should be to get the patient active on a daily basis and than progress to more health-based fitness goals. The patient needs to receive instruction on goal setting, safe exercise tips, and adherence strategies. The primary-care physician's low-cost intervention of advising physical activity can help prevent medical problems in the future. The most current recommendation on physical activity states that, "All U.S. adults should accumulate 30 minutes or more of continuous or intermittent amounts of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week." This latest recommendation offers primary-care physicians a broader range of activities to suggest to their patients. An overwhelming number of research studies indicate that physical activity is a powerful weapon in combating a host of lifestyle-related health problems.