Studies of the more than 5,000 participants in the National Weight Control Registry have shown that those who lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for many years relied primarily on two tactics: continuing physical activity and regular checks on body weight.
On the other hand, the social aspects of sporting together were mentioned in all FGDs as an important facilitating factor to continue physical activity.
Some other studies, however, did show that financial cost could be a barrier to starting or continuing physical activity among individuals with low SES [ 36, 37].
At the end of the rehabilitation programme (week 18), patients were advised by a sports physician to continue physical activity at home.
Regarding physical activity, many (former) SLIMMER participants mentioned lack of confidence to join a sports club or gym as an important barrier to continue physical activity, which was confirmed by representatives of sports clubs and literature [ 48].
All the pregnant women experienced a certain worry about being physically active during pregnancy; this influenced the level of activity to varying degrees and could be experienced as a barrier to continuing physical activity.
All newly referred patients with cancer will be screened for sedentary behaviour using national recommendations 48 by treating nurses/physicians (figure 1) and encouraged to initiate or continue physical activity during treatment.
Furthermore, there is also large room for improvement to increase advice to quit smoking and to offer physical activity recommendations where integration of APRN/PA in primary care may help improve these low rates (less than 60% of participants received advice to quit smoking and less than 40% of participants received a recommendation to begin or continue physical activity).
While climbing Mt. Everest may no longer be in the cards, there is certainly nothing stopping you from continuing physical activities involving walking clubs, senior's gym or other fitness activities made available especially for seniors.
Kempermann and colleagues [ 62] have proposed that continued physical and mental activity maintains a 'neurogenic reserve' of potential neurons that may be integrated into the hippocampal network.
