The DOI matches its Crossref record; 174 of the 181 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence
Open accessAbstract
The primary purpose of this narrative review was to evaluate the current literature and to provide further insight into the role physical inactivity plays in the development of chronic disease and premature death. We confirm that there is irrefutable evidence of the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis) and premature death. We also reveal that the current Health Canada physical activity guidelines are sufficient to elicit health benefits, especially in previously sedentary people. There appears to be a linear relation between physical activity and health status, such that a further increase in physical activity and fitness will lead to additional improvements in health status.
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“It is well documented that physical activity has considerable beneficial ef fects on overall health, protecting against individual physical morbid ities and improving psychological well-being by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression (Warburton et al., 2006).”
From Psychosocial risk and protective factors associated with burnout in police officers: A systematic review (2023) · cites this paper as Warburton et al., 2006
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“Thus, it is unsurprising that physical fitness, which ultimately is related to total PA levels, is generally regarded as the single best predictor of all-cause mortality, independent of disease state.12”
From Reduced physical activity in young and older adults: Metabolic and musculoskeletal implications (2019) · cites this paper as [12]
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“Regular physical activity and/or exercise that is tailored to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, such as walking, dancing, or cycling, has significant health benefits such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity (28).”
From Exercise Intervention in PTSD: A Narrative Review and Rationale for Implementation (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
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“Aerobic exercise is a low-cost, widely accessible activity known to provide multiple health benefits, including cardiovascular health and musculoskeletal health, as well as reduced rates of co-morbidity and mortality”
From Exercise Intervention in PTSD: A Narrative Review and Rationale for Implementation (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
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Citations
Cites
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Physical Activity in the United States Measured by Accelerometer
TROIANO, R. P., BERRIGAN, D., DODD, K. W., MÂSSE, L. C., TILERT, T., & MCDOWELL, M. (2008) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31815a51b3 · Cited by 7,638
The Social Determinants of Health: Coming of Age
Braveman, P., Egerter, S., & Williams, D. R. (2011) · Annual Review of Public Health · doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031210-101218 · Cited by 2,476
Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study
Mitchell, R., & Popham, F. (2008) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(08)61689-x · Cited by 2,099
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Metadata
- Authors
- Warburton, D. E. R.
- Affiliations
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Warburton, D. E.R.
- ORCID
- Warburton, D. E.R.
- Venue
- Canadian Medical Association Journal
- Publisher
- CMA Joule Inc.
- Published
- 2006-03-14
- Volume
- 174
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 801-809
- ISSN
- 0820-3946 (ISSN-L)
- 1488-2329
- PMC
- PMC1402378
- OpenAlex
- W2128621051
- Cited by
- 8,007
- References
- 181
- Citations by year
- 2026: 275 · 2025: 437 · 2024: 486 · 2023: 479 · 2022: 482 · 2021: 623 · 2020: 539 · 2019: 566 · 2018: 575 · 2017: 487 · 2016: 510 · 2015: 473 · 2014: 414 · 2013: 411 · 2012: 319
- FWCI
- 15.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Canadian Medical Association Journal (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Michael Smith Health Research BC
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Social Sciences › Life-span and Life-course Studies › Recreational Sport and Physical Activity
- Keywords
- physical activity, physical inactivity, chronic disease prevention, premature mortality, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression, osteoporosis, physical activity guidelines, sedentary individuals, dose-response relationship, health benefits
- MeSH terms
- Cardiovascular Diseases, Chronic Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Health Status, Humans, Life Expectancy, Neoplasms, Physical Fitness, Health Behavior, Exercise
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