ABSTRACT
The healthcare sector has a vital role in reversing the current pandemic of inactivity and burden of chronic disease. Physical activity (PA) is an essential component of overall health. In recognition of the critical role of PA in health, several countries have created comprehensive plans to specifically address the pandemic of inactivity. The US PA Guidelines for Americans, first published in 2008 and updated in 2018, provide the framework physicians need to discuss PA with their patients. While the healthcare sector, as a whole, has been called upon to promote PA among patients worldwide, physicians is often a central focus of these initiatives because they have been recognized as having a unique influence on patient behavior. A patient’s level of PA can serve as an important indicator of health that can be monitored over time to provide valuable insight regarding the well-being of a patient.
