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‘Walk this way’: results from a pilot randomised controlled trial of a health coaching intervention to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity in people with serious mental illness

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Authors
Julie Williams, Brendon Stubbs, Sol Richardson, Cathy Flower, Lucy Barr-Hamilton, Barbara Grey, Kathryn Hubbard, Gilda Spaducci, Fiona Gaughran, Tom Craig
Journal
BMC Psychiatry
Year
2019
Citations
40

TL;DR

A 17-week health coaching program, including education, pedometers, and regular coaching, helped people with serious mental illness reduce daily sedentary time by 56 minutes and increase physical activity by 32 minutes, with these changes lasting for at least 6 months, suggesting that a structured, supportive approach can effectively shift activity levels even in challenging circumstances.

What they tested

This study tested a health coaching program called "Walk this Way" (WTW) designed to reduce sedentary behavior (sitting or lying down) and increase physical activity in people diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI).

The **intervention** group received the 17-week "Walk this Way" program, which included several components:

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‘Walk this way’: results from a pilot randomised controlled trial of a health coaching intervention to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity in people with serious mental illness | Steady Practice | SteadyPractice