Are patients meeting the updated physical activity guidelines? Physical activity participation, recommendation, and preferences among inner-city adults with rheumatic diseases

Background: Physical activity (PA) improves the health of people with rheumatic diseases. Revised guidelines (published in the United States in 2008 and in the United Kingdom in 2011) recommend that adults complete 150 or more minutes of moderate-intensity PA or 75 or more minutes of vigorous-intensity PA (or equivalent) in bouts of 10 or minutes per week, yet whether people with rheumatic diseases meet these guidelines is unknown.

Objectives: This study evaluates the PA levels of adults with rheumatic diseases attending an inner-city hospital against the updated PA guidelines. It assesses respondents’ PA preferences and the proportion who report ever receiving PA advice from a healthcare professional (HCP).

Methods: Five hundred and eight patients (46% response rate) attending the general rheumatology clinics of an inner-city UK hospital completed the self-report International Physical Activity Questionnaire and 3 additional questions: “Has a doctor or other HCP ever suggested PA or exercise to help your arthritis or joint symptoms?” “Would you like help from your doctor or health service to become more physically active?” and “Which physical activities do you enjoy?”

Results: Overall, 61% of respondents met the updated PA guidelines, and 39% did not meet the guidelines. Forty-three percent of respondents reported ever receiving PA advice from an HCP, and 50% reported that they would “like help” to become more physically active. Walking was the most preferred PA (65%).

Conclusions: Almost two-thirds of our respondents met the updated PA guidelines; however, many were entirely inactive. Recommending regular PA should be integral to rheumatic disease management, and walking offers a potentially accessible, inexpensive, and acceptable PA intervention.