National and international guidelines suggest that we need to move more and sit less.
Historical trends show that we have lost physical activity through changes to our
work and travel, with similar trends producing more sitting time. To better understand
how we might change such patterns, we need to understand what we do over the waking
day and in what contexts. It is no longer sufficient to focus just on the 6–7% of
waking time that a minority of people spend in MVPA. Instead we need to think how
we can reduce the 50% of the day we currently spend being sedentary and create a larger
proportion of the day in at least light physical activity, thus reducing sitting time.
Behaviour change is challenging but must be guided by theories and behaviour change
techniques that are appropriate to the specific behaviour and context, and acceptable
to the population being targeted. In this presentation, I will discuss possible changes
to sedentary and active behaviours, including self-monitoring, social norms and environmental
modifications. The concept of habit will be highlighted. Underpinning the presentation
will be a fundamental premise of public health–making changes across as large a population
as possible. To this end, I will challenge some current thinking by suggesting that
public health gains will be greater if we stop thinking that the answer to active
living centres on sport and high intensity exercise!
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© 2014 Published by Elsevier Inc.