Seven tips for encouraging your patients to exercise

Although many patients would benefit from increased physical activity, discussing exercise is often not a priority for patients or their family physicians. Family physicians can play an influential role in encouraging patients to exercise, and the new year can be a good time to have these conversations. Here are seven tips for developing personalized physical activity prescriptions:

1. Help the patient recognize the personal benefits of physical activity.
2. Consider the patient’s experiences, strengths, values, and goals.
3. Identify barriers to physical activity and how to overcome them.
4. Set small, achievable goals.
5. Help build the patient’s confidence to attempt his or her chosen activity.
6. Encourage the patient to log his or her activity and bring those logs to follow-up appointments for further discussion and coaching.
7. Put the prescription in writing.

Read the full FPM article: “Encouraging Health Behavior Change: Eight Evidence-Based Strategies.”