Activity programmes helped inactive adults move more, and some of the gain lasted.

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   The 26 trials included 7,063 healthy adults who were not active enough. They were about 51 years old on average, and more than 3 in 4 were women.

2. 02

   What they did

   Each trial gave people a programme to get them moving more. The programmes lasted about 21 weeks on average. The other group got usual care or another approach.

3. 03

   What happened

   People in the programmes moved more than the other groups right after, a small gain. Six months or more later they still moved more, though the gain was smaller. In the two trials that measured sitting time, people did not sit less than the other groups.

What the review found

1. Helped

   Across 14 trials, programmes helped inactive adults move more than the other groups, right after they ended.

   Pooled analysis of 14 studies with 2,346 people · vs people who got usual care or another approach · the authors rated their certainty low · ⚠ most studies had serious flaws; signs that small negative studies went unpublished; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

2. Helped

   Across 16 trials, programmes still helped inactive adults move more six months or more later, though the gain was smaller.

   Pooled analysis of 16 studies with 2,190 people · vs people who got usual care or another approach · the authors rated their certainty high · ⚠ most studies had serious flaws; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

3. Helped

   Six months or more later, programmes with a plan for when and where, reminders or rising steps got bigger gains.

   • Action: Split a big task into piecestested
   • Rule: Write down when and wheretested
   • Rule: Get a remindertested

   Pooled analysis of 0 studies · vs programmes without that part · ⚠ most studies had serious flaws; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

4. No difference

   Across 2 trials, programmes to sit less did not cut sitting time more than other groups, straight after or later.

   Pooled analysis of 2 studies · vs people who got usual care or another approach · they rated themselves · the authors rated their certainty moderate · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

Source