Primary care physicians can motivate patients to be more active if they provide a pedometer and briefly explain the benefits of physical activity, suggests new research. Daily step counts improved in inactive patients who participated in the study, after they received a short message encouraging physical activity to improve mood, energy and overall health. These positive results should empower family physicians to prescribe physical activity to sedentary and obese patients, say researchers.

Through their study, the investigators aimed to examine the influence family doctors may have on their patients' physical activity levels. Ninety-four participants who visited their family practice clinic for a routine office visit received a brief, physician-delivered message and one-page handout about the benefits of exercise. A health educator made three follow-up phone calls to these individuals. Of the 94 participants, 50 received pedometers and instructions to record their daily steps. For a period of nine weeks, the researchers tracked the study subjects' self-reported walking activity, participation and adherence to the program. And step counts were taken among those who had pedometers.

At the study's end, both groups had walked more and enhanced their overall physical activity, according to the investigators. But, in the pedometer group, 21 participants who returned their step logs recorded a significant increase in average daily step count, adding nearly 2,000 steps per day to their routine. These steps translated into an extra 15 minutes of walking each day--half the amount of daily activity recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.

SOURCE: American College of Sports Medicine's 51st