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The physical activity component of health promotion in occupational settings.

1980; National Institutes of Health; Volume: 95; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

William L. Haskell, Steven N. Blair,

Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet

MOST ADULTS BELIEVE that regular exercise is important for good health, and many also state that their own health would benefit from more exercise (1). This positive attitude by the general public toward the potential health benefits of exercise is consistent with, and probably substantially influenced by, the admonitions of numerous health organizations that regular exercise is important for prevention of chronic disease and rehabilitation (2,3). Available data, however, indicate that substantial discrepancy exists between the general public's attitudes or beliefs about the health benefits of exercise and their actual exercise habits. Without adjusting for the likelihood of substantial overreporting of actual activity performed, fewer than 30 percent of American adults probably meet the American Medical Association and American Heart Association recommendation of a good bout of exercise at least three times per week (1,4). Continued expansion of the physical activity boom that started in the mid-1970s could result in substantial change in the exercise profiles of American adults by the early 1980s. Can members of the health profession take advantage of this new interest in vigorous exercise (and associated changes toward more healthful lifestyle)-demonstrated by modest but growing segment of the population and extend it to sufficiently large proportion of sedentary, working adults so that measurable change in health status and productivity will result? To evaluate the potential role of physical activity in employer-employee health promotion programs, our focus here is on the following areas: (a) scientific evidence of health and job-related benefits resulting from increased physical activity, (b) factors contributing to the successful initiation and maintenance of physical activity by adults, and (c) implementation of exercise programs in industrial settings.