Physical activity behavior change: Issues in adoption and maintenance

The many benefits of participation in regular moderate- or vigorous-intensi ty physical activity are well established, yet more than 60% of the populat ion is sedentary or insufficiently active. Published studies have revealed that behavior modification and cognitive behavior modification can be succe ssfully used to assist patients, healthy adults, and youth in the adoption of physically active lifestyles. However, few studies with adults and youth have examined the maintenance of physical activity behavior beyond 6 month s of adoption of this behavior. Maintenance of physical activity is critica lly important because ongoing participation in the behavior is necessary to sustain health benefits. Knowledge of effective intervention strategies fo r long-term maintenance of physical activity is at an early stage. The auth ors provide a summary of what is known about the maintenance of physical ac tivity behavior in adults and youth and how physical activity behavior rela tes to other health behaviors such as smoking, as well as recommendations f or research on physical activity behavior change and maintenance.