PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - E Verhagen
AU  - L Engbers
TI  - The physical therapist’s role in physical activity promotion
AID  - 10.1136/bjsm.2008.053801
DP  - 2009 Feb 01
TA  - British Journal of Sports Medicine
PG  - 99--101
VI  - 43
IP  - 2
4099  - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/43/2/99.short
4100  - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/43/2/99.full
SO  - Br J Sports Med2009 Feb 01; 43
AB  - Clinicians are increasingly confronted with the diseases of physical inactivity. Paradoxically, a promising strategy to motivate sedentary individuals to become more active is the opportunity to encourage physical activity related behavioural change when individuals encounter health professionals. Although health care professionals trained in exercise prescription are recognised as having the potential to play an important role in promoting regular physical activity, their role has been minimal in multidisciplinary approaches to date. Even so, the role of physical therapists has gone largely unrecognised. Nevertheless, because of their training and experience, physical therapists are ideally placed to promote the health and well being of individuals and the general public through physical activity and exercise prescription. Therefore, physical therapists, general practitioners and other caregivers alike should become aware of the physical therapist’s potential in promoting safe and healthy physical activity.