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NEWS RELEASE

April 14, 2004
For immediate release

Contact:
Christa Dickey
cdickey@acsm.org

STARTING AND STICKING WITH AN EXERCISE PROGRAM TAKES PLANNING
Motivating Inactive Adults Theme of ACSM Summit Pre-Conference

ORLANDO – Widespread efforts across the United States to increase public awareness of the health benefits of physical activity have not resulted in a more active nation. A national panel of experts from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the world leader in the scientific and medical aspects of sports and exercise, today suggested that adults adopt a more strategic approach when beginning an exercise or activity program.

"Becoming physically active takes more than a simple ‘Ready, Set, Go!’ approach,” said Kyle McInnis, Sc.D., FACSM. “To just flip an exercise switch one day after a decade or more of relative inactivity tends to be ineffective and short-lived. We need to focus more on helping people understand and overcome the challenges of living in an environment that almost forces us not to move around very much.”

McInnis, chair of today’s pre-conference at the eighth annual ACSM Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition, offered the latest data showing that despite a recent surge in membership at health and fitness clubs and booming sales of home exercise equipment, the overall combined rate of inadequate activity and sedentary living has not improved and has hovered near 75 percent of the population for well over a decade.

Current research shows that more than 50 percent of people who begin exercising tend to abandon the program within three to six months. McInnis led a panel to promote long-term behavior change as well as strategies involving the support of health and fitness professionals, physicians, and public health advocates. Such strategies that hold promise are setting reachable short-term activity goals; regularly monitoring progress; and eliciting the support of family or friends.

Guidance from fitness professionals who can help devise an individualized plan is recommended. For adults with pre-existing health concerns, physicians can play an especially important role since their advice is often taken seriously.

Speaking before an audience of health and fitness professionals, experts warned that physical activity should not be promoted as an “all or nothing” proposition. An active person can anticipate having less than perfect success, and should develop an action plan for making up an exercise session is missed. Particular attention should be given to walking more throughout the day and adding a variety of ways to be active.

"Scientific evidence continues to mount that convincingly shows even a modest amount of exercise goes a long way to improve health and ward off chronic disease conditions that have become increasingly prevalent among Americans,” McInnis says. “The most important step to getting started is to begin with what is achievable and then build on those early successes.”

ACSM’s Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition is going on now at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld. For more information on the event, or to speak with staff in the on-site press office, please call (407) 235-7247.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 20,000 International, National and Regional members are dedicated to promoting and integrating scientific research, education and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health and quality of life.

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The American College of Sports Medicine gratefully acknowledges the following Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition sponsors: LifeFitness (Premier Sponsor), Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Gatorade, Reebok (Educational Partner), Amino Vital, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EAS, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, BSDI, and SPRI Products, Inc.