Exercise determinants and interventions

Significant improvements in public health could be achieved if more people adopted and maintained physically active lifestyles. Considerable effort ha s been expended over the past 20 years to establish determinants of exercis e and to develop interventions to foster exercise behavior change. Understa nding factors that are associated with level of physical activity has helpe d identify segments of the population at greater risk of sustaining a seden tary lifestyle and those who would be move or less responsive to behavior c hange interventions. Research on determinants of physical activity has also supported the design and implementation of interventions to affect level o f physical activity by determining modifiable variables associated with exe rcise behavior. In considering the connection between exercise determinants and interventions, this article reviews personal, environmental and behavi oral determinants that have remained fairly consistent over the years and d escribes strategies that have been applied to increase exercise adoption an d adherence.