As American lifespans increase, there is greater concern for the quality of those longer lives. The Department of Health and Human Services, through its many component agencies, has inaugurated a major initiative to promote health and fitness among o...

While the medical care encounter is considered an ideal situation in which patients are encouraged to increase their physical activity levels, very little research has been conducted in this setting. In fact, with the exception of the physical activi...

The Workshop on Epidemiologic and Public Health Aspects of Physical Activity and Exercise was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control on September 24-25, 1984. Fundamental topics were identified prior to the workshop, and experts were invited to...

More than 30 different methods have been used to assess physical activity. These methods can be grouped into seven major categories: calorimetry, job classification, survey procedures, physiological markers, behavioral observation, mechanical and ele...

Physical activity may indirectly influence health behaviors such as overeating, smoking, substance abuse, stress management, risk taking, and others. Substantial evidence indicates that physical activity is positively associated with weight control a...

"Physical activity," "exercise," and "physical fitness" are terms that describe different concepts. However, they are often confused with one another, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. This paper proposes definitions to distinguish th...

Eight national surveys conducted in the United States and Canada between 1972 and 1983 are reviewed for evidence of leisure-time physical activity patterns in the population. The authors' major conclusion is that it is difficult to make reliable gene...

Relatively little is known about the incidence of the risks facing those who exercise regularly. Clinical reports suggest a variety of musculoskeletal ailments, and several pathophysiologic conditions may result from the various aerobic activities mo...

Unintentional deaths from suffocation and strangulation account for about 20 percent of all nontransport-related infant and child fatalities in the United States. In the late 1950s, some preventive countermeasures were introduced to reduce the number...

To improve health and fitness effectively through physical activity or exercise, we need to understand how this comes about. For many of these changes, the stimulus has been grossly defined in terms of type, intensity, duration, and frequency of exer...

Physical inactivity has been related to the occurrence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and osteoporosis. The literature was reviewed to determine what is and what is not known about the efficacy and safety of physical acti...

Mental disorders are of major public health significance. It has been claimed that vigorous physical activity has positive effects on mental health in both clinical and nonclinical populations. This paper reviews the evidence for this claim and provi...

Evaluation and delivery of physical activity and exercise programs appear impeded by the substantial numbers of Americans who are unwilling or unable to participate regularly in physical activity. As a step toward identifying effective interventions,...