A Structural Approach to Implement the Role of 'Physical Activity Counselors' in Sports and Exercise Promotion

Overview

The primary aim of this study is to investigate how a physical activity counselor can offer an added value in the sports and exercise promotion in Flanders. The investigators will explore if the physical activity counselor, in collaboration with the setting of general practitioners and social-cultural associations, can refer sedentary people and persons who are active in a non-organized context, into systematic participation in sports and/or exercise. Additionally, the investigators want to determine if the physical activity counselor will succeed in referring the target population to the local supervised and structured sports and exercise activities.

Being regularly physically active is a basic component of a healthy lifestyle. However, a large amount of the Flemish population does not reach the prescribed guidelines and cannot enjoy the health benefits related to an active lifestyle. One part of the population is physically active but makes no use of the existing, structured and supervised exercise and sports programs. Therefore the chance on lifetime participation in sports and exercise is quite low in this group. Another group consists of sedentary people that does not participate in any exercise or sports activity at all. A physical activity counselor can possibly deliver a crucial service for the above mentioned groups. He/she can design an individualized sports- or exercise approach and program. In the short term, the physical activity counselor can guide the participant into his first success experiences regarding exercise and sports. In the long term, the chance of remaining physically active will increase by improving the understanding and the self-confidence of these participants. However it is questioned how the physical activity counselor can reach these target groups in an efficient way, as the traditional sports and exercise promotion seems to have no impact on these persons. A first alternative may be the setting of the general practitioners. The general practitioner is, as a care provider in primary health care, in a good position to refer sedentary people or those who are active in a non-organized context to a physical activity counselor for 'minimal' coaching. A second alternative can be the setting of the social-cultural associations (e.g. seniors association, women association, neighborhood actions, …). The social context and the local networks in these associations facilitate the proper forms of motivation to exercise with other people and to adapt to a healthy lifestyle.