BMJ  2007;334:1173 (9 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39225.414537.80

Editorials

Physical activity and health

Even low intensity exercise such as walking is associated with better health

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Evidence that physical activity improves health is convincing,¹ but we lack knowledge about how to increase physical activity in individuals and populations. Taking part in sport may improve health, but sport is only taken up by a small proportion of the adult population, and mainly by the better educated.

In this week's BMJ, a systematic review by Ogilvie and colleagues assesses the effect of interventions to improve walking on how much people walk, physical activity, fitness, disease risk factors, and wellbeing.² It found that interventions tailored to people's needs, which targeted the most sedentary or those motivated to change, can increase walking by up to 30-60 minutes each week. Few studies included in the review assessed clinical benefits from the increased walking, and this remains to be shown in randomised controlled trials.

So what is the evidence so far on the effects of interventions on other types of physical . . . [Full text of this article]

Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Sports Medicine, Box 4014, 0806, Oslo, Norway

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Relevant Article

Interventions to promote walking: systematic review

David Ogilvie, Charles E Foster, Helen Rothnie, Nick Cavill, Val Hamilton, Claire F Fitzsimons, Nanette Mutrie on behalf of the Scottish Physical Activity Research Collaboration (SPARColl)
BMJ 2007 334: 1204. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Maddison, R. (2008). Review: regular brisk walking improves cardiovascular risk factors in healthy sedentary adults. Evid. Based Nurs. 11: 15-15 [Full text]  

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