Health Benefits of Physical Activity: A Strengths-Based Approach

Abstract

Our special series on Cardiac Rehabilitation outlined the importance of routine physical activity and/or exercise participation in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and many other chronic medical conditions. The evidence is overwhelming, demonstrating that nearly everyone can benefit from becoming more physically active. This messaging has been widely disseminated at regional, national, and international levels. Often, this messaging highlights a physical inactivity crisis and the health perils of not engaging in sufficient amounts of physical activity. This deficits-based messaging often includes generic threshold-based recommendations stating that health benefits can only be accrued with specific volumes or intensities of physical activity. In this Editorial, we argue that the current generic and deficits-based messaging misses a great opportunity to focus on the positive and to facilitate hope and real change at the individual, community, and population levels. We advocate a strengths-based approach to health and wellness promotion that focuses on the innate strengths of individuals, families, and communities to enable self-empowerment and self-determination related to health and wellness. By taking a strengths-based approach, we can build hope, promoting the positive aspects of routine physical activity and exercise participation and providing a greater opportunity to enhance health and wellbeing for everyone.

Self-Perceived Changes in Physical Activity and the Relation to Life Satisfaction and Rated Physical Capacity in Swedish Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Cross Sectional Study

“…For additional health benefits, at least 300 min at moderate intensity or 150 min at vigorous intensity is recommended. However, those thresholds have been recently challenged, as the focus on a “minimal level” may induce unnecessary barriers to those who would benefit by just increasing their activity, even if below the threshold [ 21 , 26 ]. This is also highlighted in the newly updated recommendations from the WHO, which states that any amount of PA is better than none, but more is better [ 27 ].…”

Resistance Training in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review of Exercise Programs

“…The health benefits of physical exercise (PE) have been extensively described, highlighting its positive influence on physical, psychological, cognitive, and social condition, as well as its role in disease prevention and treatment, and improvement of quality of life (QoL) [ 1 ]. In relation to breast cancer (BC), PE may be an important element in the reduction of risk factors, mortality, and relapse [ 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

Assessment of the quality of life in patients with varying degrees of equalization of lower limb length discrepancy treated with Ilizarov method

“…We might suspect that patients with a low level of physical activity as a result of the dysfunction and of the limitations they have experience in developing health-promoting behaviors related to physically active leisure time, prior to the elimination of LLD. Regular leisure-time physical activity tailored to each patient is a beneficial factor for somatic health and prevents lifestyle diseases [ 33 ], and also improves QoL [ 34 , 35 ].…”