Abstract: Behavior change is a difficult process. Increasing physical activity is particularly challenging because there are many barriers that impede physical activity and many influences that promote sedentary behavior. Therefore, health professionals must go beyond a traditional prescription model to influence change. The A's framework—Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist, and Arrange—can assist professionals in ensuring a comprehensive behavioral approach. Physical activity interventions that include skill-building promote autonomy and self-directed behavior change, which may translate to a greater likelihood of maintaining physical activity long term. Key points for professionals are to provide straightforward, individually tailored recommendations matched to patient needs and goals; partner with patients to set concrete behavior goals instead of focusing primarily on outcome medical goals; provide practical resources to assist behavior change including relevant technology-assisted methods; and include motivational feedback and ongoing follow-up for continued progress and maintenance of behavior change.
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-08-08
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
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