Evidence-Based Practice Guideline Exercise Promotion: Walking in Elders

Narirat Jitramontree, PhD, RN Edited by Deborah Perry Schoenfelder, PhD, RN Despite growing evidence of the health benefits of regular exercise, many Americans still remain sedentary. National data have shown that approximately 30% of American adults report no leisure-time physical activity. And by age 75, one in three men and one in two women do not participate in any regular physical activity (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2000). Although 60% of older adults report some activity, the frequency and duration are insufficient (USDHHS, 1999). Two objectives of Healthy People 2010 are to reduce the proportion of adults (18 and older) engaging in no leisure-time physical activity from 40% in 1997 to 20% by 2010 and to increase the proportion of adults exercising according to recommendations from 15% in 1997 to 30% by 2010 (USDHHS, 2000). Guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM, 1990), the Surgeon General (USDHHS, 1996), and National Health Service Scotland (Wood & Bain, 2001) recommend adults accumulate 30 minutes (duration) or more of moderately intense activity on all or most days of the week (frequency). The 30 minutes of exercise can be divided into two or three sessions of at least 10 minutes duration throughout the day (National Institute on Aging [NIA], 2008). The