Physical Activity Coaching and Goal Setting in West Virginia Adults

Presenters/Authors(s)

Colin Boyle, Katherine Cucinotta, Kathryn Kestner

Abstract or Description

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults accumulate a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week to help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and various health risks (CDC, 2017). Physical inactivity can have negative health effects such, as an increased risk of premature death and other noncommunicable diseases (CDC, 2024). In West Virginia (WV), 28.5% of all adults aged 18+ stated that they did not participate in some form of exercise or physical activity throughout their day, and 26.3% of adults rated their overall health as fair or poor (WV DHHR, 2018). The goal of the current study was to increase physical activity levels using a coaching package that included goal setting and feedback. The intensity of participants’ physical activity was measured using a Fitbit Charge 5, by which active zone minutes (AZMs) were tracked each week. Active zone minutes are based on individualized thresholds for heartbeats per minute (BPM) for each participant. During the intervention phase, participants met with their coach weekly to set physical activity goals and discuss scheduling time for physical activity. Following the intervention phase, participants began the fading/maintenance phase, and coaching sessions occurred biweekly to monthly, and participants independently set their goals. One participant met their physical activity goal 11 of 15 weeks in the intervention phase and 2 of 2 weeks in the fading/maintenance phase. Another participant met their physical activity goal 2 of 3 weeks in the intervention phase.