The authors of the study created the Group Lifestyle Balance program, a 22-session program administered over a one-year period aimed at helping people make lifestyle changes to lower their risk for diabetes and heart disease. All total, the program included 223 participants.
A survey at the end of the program showed participants added an average of 45 to 52 minutes of moderate intensity activity similar to a brisk walk to their weekly routine, and maintained those activity levels after the year-long program ended. The study also found physical activity was higher in the summer than the winter months.
“This may seem like an obvious finding, but this evidence that season influences the physical activity levels of participants in community-based lifestyle interventions will allow us to adjust these programs accordingly and offer extra encouragement and strategies to continue striving to meet physical activity goals during the winter,” said lead author Yvonne L. Eaglehouse, PhD.
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