Referral from primary care to a physical activity programme: establishing long-term adherence? A randomized controlled trial. Rationale and study design

Table 1 Components of the exercise programme [35]

Component	Includes these exercises	Repetitions per exercise^a	Duration of a single exercise or repetition	Duration per 60 minutes class	Major benefits
Warm-up	- Range-of-motion. - Low-intensity aerobics.	4–8	2 seconds per repetition	10 minutes minimum	- Increases internal body temperature. - Injury prevention.
Aerobics	- Aerobic exercises (e.g. walking, swimming, cycling)	Varies	Varies	15–30 minutes	- Cardio respiratory endurance.
Resistance training	- Body- weight^b exercises. - Resistance exercises.	8–15	6 seconds per repetition	15–30 minutes	- Muscular strength and endurance.
Cool-down	- Stretching.	1	30–45 seconds per stretch	5–30 minutes	- Improved flexibility.
	- Relaxation techniques. - Stress-reduction techniques.	Varies	Varies	5–30 minutes	- Relaxation, stress reduction.

^aSeveral factors determine the number of repetitions, such as the component of exercise, the level of fitness of the participant, the level of progress for that exercise, day-to-day variations in the participant's state, and the total amount of time available for the exercise class.
^bBody-weight exercises are exercises in which one's body weight, such as the weight of one's arm or legs, serves as the resistance.

ISSN: 1471-2458