Regular exercise is important for reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, improving mood, keeping an immune system in top shape, reducing stress, and as a part of overall health. But it’s not always easy to get started and stick with it.
The current recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Surgeon General, American College of Sports Medicine, and American Heart Association includes regular moderate exercise 5 to 7 times per week, for at least 30 minutes per day. That can be a tall order, especially for those not exercising at all now.
This program can help users on the whole spectrum—from those not ready to start exercising regularly, to those already exceeding the recommendation. It’s tailored to each person’s individual needs and lets each person control the pace.
This program will help users:
- Learn how other people have made regular exercise a habit
- Learn strategies that can help wherever they are with exercise.
Online Program
We have self-directed (samples below) and coaching versions of our online Exercise program.
Off-line Program
Includes printed questionnaire, tailored feedback report and A Guide for Exercising Regularly, a stage-based behavior change manual for each participant. See off-line programs page for more information.
Printed Manual
A Guide for Exercising Regularly
A stage-based program for doing regular physical activity which benefits overall health and well-being. Part of the off-line program or available separately.
For ordering information, see our manuals order page.
Effectiveness
Outcome data from the national population-based effectiveness trial1 of our Healthy Weight Management program, which included the Exercise program, indicates that:
At 24 months, those who were in a pre-Action stage for exercise at baseline and received treatment were significantly more likely to reach Action or Maintenance than the comparison group (44.90% versus 38.10%).
See our Weight Management program page for additional study details.
This program was developed with support from SBIR grant R44HL070549 from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
Results Published
1. Johnson, S. S., Paiva, A. L., Cummins, C. O., Johnson, J. L., Dyment, S. J., Wright, J. A., Prochaska, J. O., Prochaska, J. M., & Sherman, K. (2008). Transtheoretical model-based multiple behavior intervention for weight management: Effectiveness on a population basis. Preventive Medicine, 46, 238-246. abstract
BACKGROUND. The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity underscore the need for evidence-based, easily disseminable interventions for weight management that can be delivered on a population basis. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) offers a promising theoretical framework for multiple behavior weight management interventions. METHODS. Overweight or obese adults (BMI 25-39.9; n=1277) were randomized to no-treatment control or home-based, stage-matched multiple behavior interventions for up to three behaviors related to weight management at 0, 3, 6, and 9 months. All participants were re-assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months. RESULTS. Significant treatment effects were found for healthy eating (47.5% versus 34.3%), exercise (44.90% versus 38.10%), managing emotional distress (49.7% versus 30.30%), and untreated fruit and vegetable intake (48.5% versus 39.0%) progressing to Action/Maintenance at 24 months. The groups differed on weight lost at 24 months. Co-variation of behavior change occurred and was much more pronounced in the treatment group, where individuals progressing to Action/Maintenance for a single behavior were 2.5-5 times more likely to make progress on another behavior. The impact of the multiple behavior intervention was more than three times that of single behavior interventions. CONCLUSIONS. This study demonstrates the ability of TTM-based tailored feedback to improve healthy eating, exercise, managing emotional distress, and weight on a population basis. The treatment produced a high level of population impact that future multiple behavior interventions can seek to surpass.