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Physical activity resources

For health professionals

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Physical activity resources

Health professionals

Walking for an average of 30 minutes or more a day can lower the risk of heart disease and strokes by 30% percent, and Type 2 diabetes by 40%.

Physical activity resources for health professionals

  • Heart Foundation Walking: A social prescribing opportunity for all your patients. Visit our dedicated website to learn more about our walking groups and Personal Walking Plans and request flyers for your practice.
  • Heart Foundation’s Blueprint for an Active Australia: Government and community actions needed to increase population levels of physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in Australia (third edition).

  • Australia’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines: National physical activity recommendations from the Department of Health and Aged Care.

Physical activity resources for your patients

The following pages provide tips and education to help your patients get more active.

Built environment resources for professionals

Residents of walkable communities are 1.5 times more likely to engage in sufficient physical activity and 58% more likely to have a favorable cardiovascular risk profile compared to those in less walkable areas . These findings underscore the importance of healthy built environments in fostering active lifestyles for people living in Australia, making physical activity more accessible and enjoyable as part of everyday life.

Healthcare providers play a crucial role in promoting the connection between the built environment and heart health, advocating for initiatives that support active living. The Heart Foundation offers resources such as the Community Walkability Checklist and the Healthy Active by Design toolkit to empower communities and professionals in creating environments that prioritise physical activity and well-being, facilitating collaboration with local councils for neighborhood improvements. These tools integrate health considerations into urban planning, promoting healthier and more active local neighbourhoods and environments across Australia.

Visit Healthy Active by Design for more information.

1 Public Health, 2 Feb 2023, https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/2023/us-neighborhood-walkability-influences-physical-activity-bmi-levels/#:~:text=They%20found%20that%20adults%20who,in%20neighborhoods%20with%20low%20walkability

2 Makram et. Al., 2023, ‘Favourable Neighbourhood Walkability is Associated with Lower Burden of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Patients Within an integrated Health System’, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0146280623000592

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Last updated20 August 2024