TY - JOUR T1 - Promoting physical activity: the general practice agenda JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 454 LP - 455 DO - 10.3399/bjgp16X686689 VL - 66 IS - 650 AU - John Brooks AU - Imtiaz Ahmad AU - Graham Easton Y1 - 2016/09/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/66/650/454.abstract N2 - There is a continued national public health strategic focus on increasing physical activity at a population level1 and primary care is being called on to play a central role in this drive,2 with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) set to appoint the first clinical champion for physical activity. Nationally Public Health England (PHE)3 and globally the World Health Organization4 have highlighted the importance of increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time. Guidelines and recommendations from the Department of Health5 and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence6 also emphasise the importance of physical activity promotion in primary care. GPs’ workloads are already ballooning; but with the right knowledge, skills, and support, prioritising physical activity could potentially have a positive impact on our patients health.7Physical activity is as important as healthy lifestyle choices such as diet, smoking cessation, and sensible alcohol intake. It is estimated that physical inactivity is directly responsible for up to 10% of noncommunicable diseases and another 9% of premature mortalities.8 Daily physical activity totalling 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity per week9 can help prevent many noncommunicable diseases: a 20–35% reduction in cardiovascular disease and premature mortality risk with a reduction in the risk of other diseases including type 2 diabetes (35–50%) and breast and colon cancer (20–50%) … ER -