Major life events may affect a person’s physical activity levels and heart health
3 min read
Starting a new college or a new task, possessing a child or entering retirement are major everyday living gatherings that noticeably have an affect on a person’s physical action stage, which might lead to poorer coronary heart wellbeing. Men and women and wellness care professionals want to be proactive in addressing this concern, in accordance to advice from a new American Coronary heart Affiliation Scientific Statement revealed now in the Association’s flagship journal Circulation. A scientific assertion is an expert examination of latest study and could advise potential suggestions.
The statement, entitled “Supporting Actual physical Activity in Individuals and Populations In the course of Existence Functions and Transitions,” focuses on the have to have to far better understand how lifestyle adjustments impact actual physical action degrees and what can be finished to enable folks preserve fantastic heart wellness through daily life transitions.
The statement crafting team associates notice that because sedentary conduct is an rising cardiovascular disease danger factor, it is vital to acknowledge how physical exercise amounts might impact wellness all through major existence events and transitions. The statement also offers assistance for wellness treatment professionals to recognize, tackle and boost typical actual physical exercise to individuals suffering from substantial changes in their life. Possibilities for local community-amount interventions to boost bodily activity are also explored.
“Selected existence gatherings and transitions may possibly mark the starting and conclusion of different phases of a person’s lifestyle, and these everyday living alterations may direct to intervals of considerably less actual physical exercise and a lot more sedentary life-style behaviors. Actual physical activity is an critical coronary heart-healthier habits and much too significantly sitting down and inactivity is not fantastic for you,” explained the composing team Chair Abbi D. Lane-Cordova, Ph.D., FAHA, an assistant professor in workout science at the Arnold Faculty of Community Wellness at the University of South Carolina in Columbia South Carolina. “This is a specifically critical subject proper now mainly because, in addition to life’s other main events, the COVID-19 pandemic is an additional disruption of everyone’s day-to-day routines and activity levels.”
The American Heart Affiliation suggests most adults participate in at least 150 minutes per week of reasonable-intensity cardio exercise or 75 minutes for each 7 days of vigorous cardio activity, or a combination of both equally, if possible distribute all through the week. Kids and adolescents 6-17 several years old need to get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical action each individual working day.
In accordance to the U.S. Facilities for Disease Manage and Prevention’s Workplace of Ailment Avoidance and Health and fitness Marketing “Healthier Folks 2020” initiative, only 1 in 5 teens (20{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) and about 1 in 4 grown ups (24{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf}) in the U.S. routinely obtained the advisable amounts of bodily exercise in latest years. Whilst these rates are low throughout the board, information suggest these quantities could change noticeably during a major lifetime occasion or changeover. The crafting team examined information on 17 various lifetime events or transitions, and found evidence of lowered action concentrations all through 9 functions:
- 
- Starting a new college (elementary, center, large college or university) – each individual distinctive lifetime activities
- a to start with work or career change
- a relationship or civil union
- pregnancy
- parenting
- retirement or
- transferring into a long-expression treatment facility.







The creating group also assessed the results of significant life alterations on numerous subgroups inside the U.S. population to detect persons most in need to have of help all through lifetime transitions. Men and women most at risk for considerably decrease actual physical exercise for the duration of existence changes include:
- 
- people today with decrease concentrations of instruction
- those who lived by itself in the course of the original COVID-19 location closings
- people who lacked harmless access to out of doors area for training and bodily action and
- women during pregnancy and parenthood.




The “socioecological model,” which encompasses individual, social, environmental and policy contributors, was the framework made use of to take a look at numerous elements that influenced concentrations of physical exercise.
The assessment uncovered that common variables influencing bodily action stages amid youth (<18 years of age) at the individual level include:
- 
- gender
- age
- motor coordination
- time outside
- physical activity preferences
- body image
- perceived barriers
- involvement in school sports and
- physical education.









At the interpersonal level, youth were influenced by their weight and physical activity levels, and by their parents’ education level. Environmental influencers for youth included neighborhood crime rates, perception of safety, walkability, proximity and access to school programs and recreational facilities. COVID-19–related restrictions and stay-at-home orders have also been related to changes in physical activity in youth and Lane-Cordova noted more data in this area will be important to consider.
The analysis of physical activity levels for adults (18+ year old) found individual influencers included:
- 
- the perceived health benefits of exercise
- history of and intention to exercise
- self-efficacy/confidence to achieve goals
- enjoyment and
- lower stress levels.





Social and cultural norms affected adults both negatively and positively, while environmental influencers included proximity and access to recreation facilities and greenspaces, transportation, neighborhood walkability and convenience.
Research specific to factors affecting physical activity during life transitions is less robust, so the statement suggests future efforts to identify socioecological factors that may help support routine exercise. Examples of these factors include safer streets for pedestrians ans cyclists, rails-to-trails programs and park upgrades. The writing group proposes public health policies to implement these infrastructure changes would help ensure support for physical activity during major life events.
The statement also suggests practical strategies for health care professionals to support routine physical activity levels during major life events and transitions. Health care
professionals can assess physical activity by asking a few questions as part of the collection of vital signs during a routine health visit. A brief screening tool of questions for individual patient responses may be a low-cost option in a clinical setting to assess physical activity levels and support needed. For daily patient use, the writing group suggests simple, commercially available wearable technology such as pedometers or accelerometers to monitor physical activity levels and changes. Simple metrics like adding 1,000 steps per day to increase daily physical activity levels may result in improved health benefits.

It’s important to maintain or improve physical activity when major life events happen, which is often a time when exercise is most needed. There are so many ways people can do this. They could plan family activities that involve exercise, use free videos or websites to exercise at home or take standing breaks while at work. The most important things are to be aware of the positive health and cardiovascular impact of physical activity and make the effort to get moving.”


Lane-Cordova, PhD, FAHA and Assistant Professor in Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina

The statement suggests health care professionals have a big role to play when it comes to opening the conversation about physical activity levels with their patients. The writing group recommends health care professionals focus on compassion and understanding. Given that primary care physicians may lack the necessary time and resources for follow-up support, clinicians may look at expanding the roles of other members of the clinical care team, including nurses, medical assistants and health or lifestyle coaches.
The statement also mentions behavioral counseling as another means to provide support for physical activity during major life transitions or events. There are numerous mental and physical health benefits of starting and maintaining regular physical activity during major life events and transitions. Urging regular physical activity along with offering compassion and empathy supports physical and mental health during challenging times.
The statement writing group notes that health care professionals can be an important source of encouragement. Referring to past accomplishments may increase a patient’s confidence in their ability to incorporate regular physical activity into their daily routine. Motivational interviewing may be better received during life transitions and events than a more traditional educational approach during life transitions and events. And a variety of health care professionals, such as medical assistants and health or lifestyle coaches, can help provide physical activity counseling.
The writing group said it is crucial “to look beyond the health care setting and engage organizations, communities, workplaces, faith-based communities and assisted living facilities to promote physical activity.” The statement provides a list of resources for individuals and health care professionals, many of which are free and online.
Future areas of research should include improved surveillance efforts to assess physical activity, sedentary behavior and the corresponding overall health and wellness, particularly among at-risk and underserved populations, according to the writing group. More information is also needed to effectively characterize the impact of life events and transitions on sedentary behavior, especially given the growing body of evidence that too much sitting is associated with worse health outcomes. Finally, the statement highlights the need to develop and test interventions that specifically target life events and transitions linked to declines in physical activity levels.
Source:
Journal reference:
Abbi, D., et al. (2021) Supporting Physical Activity in Patients and Populations During Life Events and Transitions: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001035.
