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Mantenerse activo para la salud de las articulaciones
Why physical activity protects joints and tendons, how exercise helps osteoarthritis and recovery, and how to stay active safely.
¿Qué es?¶
Mantenerse activo para la salud de las articulaciones significa mover el cuerpo regularmente para que las articulaciones, los músculos y la salud general funcionen adecuadamente. Esto abarca desde caminar y nadar hasta programas de ejercicio estructurados. No es necesario ser atleta; cualquier movimiento cotidiano cuenta.
Este enfoque es válido para personas de todas las edades. Los niños y adolescentes de 6-17 años que realizan actividad física moderada a intensa obtienen múltiples beneficios para la salud [1]. Los adultos mayores que siguen moviéndose también suelen gozar de una mejor salud general [2]. Si padece dolor articular o artritis, su médico podría hablarle sobre la importancia de mantenerse activo como parte de su tratamiento, junto con cualquier terapia que le recete.
La idea es sencilla: las articulaciones y los músculos responden al movimiento. Las actividades ligeras, como caminar despacio o moverse por casa, representan la mayor parte de la energía que las personas queman mediante el movimiento diario; son, por tanto, un buen punto de partida [3]. Incluso pequeños incrementos en la actividad física pueden proteger a los adultos sedentarios de diversas enfermedades crónicas [4]. Realizar unos 30-40 minutos diarios de actividad moderada a intensa también puede contrarrestar algunos riesgos para la salud derivados de permanecer sentado durante largos periodos [5].
Existen pocas pruebas de que la actividad física cause daños significativos; en general, sus beneficios superan a los riesgos [6]. Algunos programas también han ayudado a la gente a mantenerse activa. En un programa laboral, el 85,6 % de los participantes que inicialmente eran sedentarios alcanzaron los niveles de actividad recomendados en el seguimiento [7]. Los programas de mantenimiento pueden asimismo ayudarle a seguir activo y mejorar su función física y calidad de vida [8].
Si no sabe por dónde empezar, su médico o un fisioterapeuta pueden ayudarle a encontrar actividades adecuadas para sus articulaciones y su estilo de vida.
¿Funciona?¶
La respuesta honesta es que mantenerse activo ayuda en muchos aspectos, aunque la evidencia no es del todo consistente en todos los casos. En cuanto a la salud general, numerosos estudios han demostrado que la actividad regular reduce la probabilidad de desarrollar demencia, incluyendo la enfermedad de Alzheimer y la demencia vascular [1]. Asimismo, la terapia mediante ejercicio disminuye el riesgo de complicaciones graves como hospitalizaciones y neumonía [2]. En el caso de la diabetes tipo 2, parece no existir una cantidad mínima o máxima de actividad necesaria para obtener beneficios [3].
En lo que respecta a las articulaciones, la situación es más variada. En ciertas afecciones de la rodilla, los programas de ejercicios que provocan cierta molestia durante su realización resultaron ligeramente más eficaces a corto plazo que aquellos que evitaban cualquier dolor [4]. En adolescentes con dolor en la rótula, el ejercicio ayuda a algunos pero no a todos; además, cumplir con el programa resulta un verdadero desafío [5]. Quienes realizaron ejercicios en casa tres veces por semana o más tuvieron cuatro veces más probabilidades de recuperarse al cabo de 12 meses [5].
No obstante, parte de la evidencia es menos contundente de lo que se podría esperar. Los ensayos aleatorizados rigurosos no han logrado demostrar que la actividad física reduzca directamente el riesgo de muerte, aunque sí se asocia con mejor salud en múltiples aspectos [6]. En cuanto a actividades leves como la caminata suave y su influencia en la salud cardíaca y metabólica, la base de investigación sigue siendo limitada y no del todo consistente [7].
¿Qué significa esto para usted? Moverse más conlleva beneficios reales, y no hay indicios de que sea perjudicial. Sin embargo, los resultados varían según cada persona; el mayor desafío suele ser mantener la constancia, más que elegir el programa “perfecto”. Su médico o fisioterapeuta pueden ayudarle a encontrar una actividad que pueda seguir a largo plazo, pues lo importante es la regularidad, no el esfuerzo intenso por breves periodos.
¿Cuáles son los riesgos?¶
Para la mayoría de las personas, el principal riesgo de mantenerse activas es hacer demasiado, demasiado pronto. Es posible que sus articulaciones y músculos duelan más de lo habitual durante un breve período después de iniciar o intensificar una actividad física. Algunos programas de ejercicios están diseñados para provocar cierta molestia durante su realización; los ensayos demostraron que esto aporta un beneficio a corto plazo, pequeño pero real, en comparación con programas que evitan cualquier tipo de dolor [1]. Esto es distinto al dolor agudo o al que empeora progresivamente; en esos casos, es señal de que debe reducir la intensidad y consultar a su médico o fisioterapeuta.
También existe riesgo de lesiones si se sobrepasa lo que el cuerpo está preparado para soportar. La evidencia al respecto es limitada; sin embargo, los propios jugadores de fútbol amateur sugirieron que los programas de entrenamiento deberían incluir medidas de prevención de lesiones junto con el desarrollo físico [2]. No siempre los entrenadores implementan dichos programas, lo que puede derivar en baja adherencia y escaso éxito en la prevención de lesiones [3]. Si sigue un programa, es fundamental cumplirlo tal como se indica.
El mayor riesgo para muchas personas es, en realidad, lo contrario: no hacer nada. La inactividad también conlleva sus propios riesgos. Estudios a gran escala han vinculado niveles más altos de actividad física con tasas más bajas de mortalidad por cualquier causa y por enfermedades cardiovasculares [4]. Permanecer sentado durante largos periodos diarios también se relaciona con peores resultados en la salud; aproximadamente 30-40 minutos diarios de actividad moderada o intensa pueden contrarrestar parte de ese riesgo [5].
Una limitación importante: gran parte de la evidencia sobre actividad física y envejecimiento proviene de estudios realizados con adultos mayores relativamente sanos que viven en la comunidad [6]. Si usted padece otras afecciones médicas, la situación podría ser distinta. Su médico podrá ayudarle a determinar qué actividades son seguras para su caso particular.
¿Es adecuado para usted?¶
Mantenerse activo es una opción que vale la pena considerar para casi todas las personas, independientemente de su edad o nivel de condición física. Las guías de actividad física de EE. UU. de 2018 reconocen que cualquier sesión de actividad física aporta beneficios para la salud [1]; por lo tanto, no es necesario alcanzar un objetivo estricto para empezar a notar mejoras. Si padece dolor articular o artritis, su médico puede ayudarle a determinar qué actividades son seguras para su caso.
Para algunas personas, obtener beneficios puede resultar más difícil. Gran parte de la evidencia sobre la actividad física y el envejecimiento proviene de estudios realizados con adultos mayores relativamente sanos que viven en la comunidad [2]; por eso, si usted padece otras afecciones médicas, la situación podría ser menos clara. Su médico puede ayudarle a evaluar esto.
En comparación con otros enfoques, mantenerse activo no sustituye al tratamiento, sino que lo complementa. Se ha demostrado que los programas de ejercicio que provocan cierta molestia durante su realización aportan un beneficio pequeño pero real a corto plazo frente a los programas sin molestias, en el caso del dolor musculoesquelético crónico [3]; por ello, su médico podría comentar este aspecto con usted.
Esta decisión debe tomarse en conjunto con su médico. Él o ella le ayudará a encontrar actividades adecuadas para sus articulaciones y su estilo de vida; además, le recomendamos consultar la sección de riesgos anterior para saber a qué debe prestar atención.
Conclusión¶
Mantenerse activo es algo que debería considerar casi todo el mundo; el movimiento diario cuenta tanto como el ejercicio estructurado. Lo realista es esperar beneficios graduales gracias al movimiento regular, en lugar de un cambio rápido; además, lo más difícil suele ser mantener la constancia, no encontrar el programa ideal. La advertencia más importante: si padece otras enfermedades, gran parte de la evidencia proviene de estudios realizados en adultos mayores relativamente sanos [1]; por ello, antes de comenzar, consulte a su médico o fisioterapeuta sobre qué actividades son seguras para sus articulaciones y su situación particular.
Referencias¶
[1] Actividad física y salud en niños y adolescentes chinos: declaración de consenso de expertos (2020). British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102261
[2] Inicio de la actividad física en la vejez y envejecimiento saludable: el Estudio Longitudinal Inglés sobre el Envejecimiento. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092993
[3] Aprovechando el potencial de la actividad física de baja intensidad para la salud pública: un llamado a la acción para la investigación. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2026. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-111179
[4] Actividad física no ocupacional y riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares, cáncer y mortalidad: un metaanálisis dosis-respuesta de grandes estudios prospectivos. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2023. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2022-105669
[5] Asociaciones conjuntas entre la actividad física medida mediante acelerómetro y el tiempo sedentario con la mortalidad por todas las causas: un metaanálisis armonizado en más de 44 000 personas de mediana edad y mayores. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-103270
[6] Fuerte, constante y recta: declaración de consenso del Reino Unido sobre actividad física y ejercicio para la osteoporosis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2022. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-104634
[7] Ejemplos destacados: inversiones en actividad física que funcionan: el Desafío Laboral. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097716
[8] Efectividad de las intervenciones de mantenimiento para promover la actividad física tras la terapia de ejercicio en enfermedades crónicas: una revisión general. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2026. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-110444
[9] La actividad física como factor protector contra la demencia y la enfermedad de Alzheimer: revisión sistemática, metaanálisis y evaluación de calidad de estudios de cohortes y casos y controles. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2022. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-104981
[10] Infografía. Beneficios y riesgos de la terapia de ejercicio en personas con multimorbilidad. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2021. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-104367
[11] Actividad física específica por intensidad medida mediante acelerómetro, riesgo genético y aparición de diabetes tipo 2: un estudio de cohorte prospectivo. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2023. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2022-106653
[12] ¿Deberían ser dolorosos los ejercicios en el manejo del dolor musculoesquelético crónico? Revisión sistemática y metaanálisis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-097383
[13] Declaración de consenso de 2016 sobre el dolor patelofemoral, del 4.º Encuentro Internacional de Investigación sobre el Dolor Patelofemoral, Manchester. Parte 2: intervenciones físicas recomendadas (ejercicio, cinta adhesiva, órtesis, plantillas y combinaciones de intervenciones). British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096268
[14] Actividad física y longevidad: cómo acercarse a una inferencia causal. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-098995
[15] ¿Cómo se relaciona la actividad física de baja intensidad con la salud cardiometabólica y la mortalidad en adultos? Revisión sistemática con metaanálisis de estudios experimentales y observacionales. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097563
[16] ¿Qué opinan los futbolistas comunitarios sobre los distintos programas de entrenamiento físico? Implicaciones para la implementación de programas de prevención de lesiones en extremidades inferiores. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092816
[17] Alcance y adopción de un programa de entrenamiento físico dirigido por entrenadores en el fútbol comunitario. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091797
[18] Trayectorias y acumulación de actividad física durante la edad adulta y sus asociaciones con la mortalidad por todas las causas y por causas específicas: revisión sistemática y metaanálisis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2025. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-109122
[19] Declaración de consenso de Copenhague 2019: actividad física y envejecimiento. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-100451
[20] Períodos breves y esporádicos en las guías de actividad física de EE. UU. de 2018: ¿es la actividad física incidental de alta intensidad el nuevo HIIT?. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-100397
Evidence & references
This is the clinical evidence summary written for health professionals. It is technical, and it lists the research this page was built from. You do not need to read it to understand your treatment or to make a decision about it.
Overview¶
- There is little evidence that physical activity is associated with significant harm [1].
- The benefits of physical activity, in general, outweigh the risks [1].
- Maintenance interventions may help people continue to be physically active [2].
- Maintenance interventions may improve physical function and health-related quality of life [2].
- The 2018 US physical activity guidelines recognised that any bouts of physical activity count for health [3].
- ISPAH's Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity provides a summary of eight areas for action supported by scientific evidence [4].
- ISPAH's Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity has worldwide applicability [4].
- In children and adolescents aged 6-17, participating in moderate to vigorous physical activities led to multiple positive health outcomes [5].
- The 2020 WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour update previous WHO recommendations released in 2010 [9].
- About 15 times more physical activity of at least moderate intensity is needed to achieve similar results regarding incident cardiovascular disease [17].
- RCTs have failed to provide conclusive evidence that physical activity causes a reduced risk of death [18].
- Changes to physical activity guidelines, such as removal of a 10-min bout criterion, pose challenges for physical activity surveillance [44].
- At follow-up, 65.0% of inactive participants were taking part in sport [46].
- At follow-up, 85.6% of inactive participants were meeting recommended MVPA guidelines [46].
- Most differences in functional outcomes from scapular exercise programs did not reach the minimum threshold to be considered clinically important [48].
- Individuals not achieving the WHO guideline for physical activity showed an elevated risk of cancer, even if they were abdominally lean [49].
- The hazard ratio for elevated cancer risk in individuals not achieving the WHO guideline for physical activity, even if abdominally lean, was 1.04 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.07) [49].
How It Works¶
- There is little evidence that physical activity is associated with significant harm, and the benefits generally outweigh the risks [1].
- Maintenance interventions may help people continue to be physically active and improve physical function and health-related quality of life [2].
- ISPAH's Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity provides a summary of eight areas for action that are supported by scientific evidence and have worldwide applicability [4].
- Light-intensity physical activity accounts for the majority of physical activity energy expenditure (51–59%) [6].
- Sustained physical activity in older age is associated with improved overall health [7].
- Exercise interventions implemented at ≤12 weeks after total knee arthroplasty primarily improved functional performance [10].
- Exercise interventions lasting >12 weeks after total knee arthroplasty resulted in greater gains in muscle strength and joint flexibility [10].
- The proportion of participants meeting health-enhancing physical activity recommendations increased from 33.1% to 42.3% between baseline and first follow-up in the Allez Hop programme [12].
- The addition of wearable activity tracker use did not have any effect on perceived joint function or health-related quality of life in people with hip and knee osteoarthritis [14].
- Aquatic exercise appears to provide meaningful pain relief for musculoskeletal disorders, with benefits that may persist during follow-up [15].
- Moderate treadmill exercise following an initial period of short-term immobilization has a positive impact on tendon-bone interface healing after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a murine model [19].
- Prolonged immobilization has a detrimental effect on physical recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in a murine model [19].
- Small increases in non-occupational physical activity in inactive adults are associated with substantial protection against a range of chronic disease outcomes [20].
- The ProPASS consortium aims to produce evidence on the associations of physical activity, sitting, and sleep with long-term health outcomes and longevity [21].
- Consensus statements outline approaches that may identify determinants and modifiers of cardiorespiratory fitness exercise response [22].
- Not all daily metabolic equivalent task units (METs) are the same in their health benefits [23].
- Pain science education may act as a mechanism of action for exercise interventions for people with knee or hip osteoarthritis [25].
- Pain science education is less successful when delivered standalone for people with knee or hip osteoarthritis [25].
- Findings question whether total hip arthroplasty should be prioritized only for patients with severe hip osteoarthritis symptoms [26].
- Pain is modulated by many factors, and the relationship between pain and tissue becomes less predictable the longer pain persists [27].
What the Evidence Shows¶
- There is little evidence that physical activity is associated with significant harm, and the benefits, in general, outweigh the risks [1].
- There is moderate certainty evidence that fall prevention exercise programmes are likely to be cost-effective [11].
- Much of the evidence regarding physical activity and ageing is based on longitudinal associations from observational and randomised controlled intervention studies, as well as quantitative and qualitative social studies in relatively healthy community-dwelling older adults [13].
- Participants in the NMC programme found it to be less physically challenging but more enjoyable and potentially of more benefit compared with control players [16].
- About 15 times more physical activity of at least moderate intensity is needed to achieve similar results regarding the joint associations of device-measured physical activity and abdominal obesity with incident cardiovascular disease [17].
- Randomised controlled trials have failed to provide conclusive evidence that physical activity causes a reduced risk of death [18].
- Exercise may improve pain and function in knee osteoarthritis with low to moderate certainty, but it is uncertain whether differences are clinically important [29].
- Protocols using painful exercises offer a small but significant benefit over pain-free exercises in the short term, with moderate quality of evidence [30].
- A school-based intervention resulted in a significant group-by-time interaction for mean minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day in favour of the intervention group (adjusted difference between groups at follow-up=3.85 min, 95% CI (0.79 to 6.91), p≤0.01) [31].
- The school-based intervention included significantly more vigorous physical activity (2.45 min, p≤0.01), equating to 27 min more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week [31].
- There was no significant effect of an augmented exercise referral scheme using web-based behavioural support on weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at 12 months between the groups recorded in ≥10 min bouts (mean difference 11.8 min of MVPA, 95% CI: −2.1 to 26.0; p=0.10) [33].
- There was no significant effect of an augmented exercise referral scheme using web-based behavioural support on weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at 12 months between the groups without bouts (mean difference 13.7 min of MVPA, 95% CI: −26.8 to 54.2; p=0.51) [33].
- Findings from a prospective case series on proximal interphalangeal joint orthosis and therapeutic exercise for trigger finger demonstrate feasibility and short-term clinical improvement but cannot establish superiority over other conservative treatments due to the absence of a control group [34].
- Results from a formal 2-year cluster randomised-controlled trial confirmed the Youth-Physical Activity Towards Health programme was effective in improving youth fundamental movement skills proficiency [35].
- Brief interventions promoting physical activity in primary care and the community are likely to be inexpensive compared with usual care [37].
- A coaching intervention to enhance physical activity and prevent falls in community-dwelling people aged 60+ years improved daily steps, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, hours per week of walking, overall well-being, quality of life and disability [38].
- Treatment groups in the WALK 2.0 trial differed significantly in trajectories of minutes/day of physical activity (p=0.0198), through a greater change at 3 months for Web 2.0 than Web 1.0 (7.3 min/day, 95% CI 2.4 to 12.3) [39].
- Compared with obesity-low physical activity, there was no survival benefit of being normal weight if physical activity levels were low [40].
- Exercise therapy is effective for some adolescents with patellofemoral pain but not all, and adherence to exercises is a challenge [41].
- Adolescents doing home exercises three times per week or more are four times more likely to be recovered after 12 months [41].
- Physical activity interventions that combine self-monitoring with other components provide an additional modest yet sustained increase in step count compared with self-monitoring alone [42].
- The PERSiST guidance attempts to address the problem of poor reporting of medical and healthcare systematic reviews in the sports and exercise medicine, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and sports science fields [43].
- Approximately 65 min per day of walking was linked to a more favourable cardiometabolic profile [45].
- Approximately 5 min of stair climbing was linked to a more favourable cardiometabolic profile [45].
- The adverse effects of sitting became pronounced above 12 hours per day [45].
- Researchers need to prevent the '24-hour Babel' by coming to agreement about how to collectively define physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep through an inclusive and systematic consensus process [47].
- Exercise therapy improved health-related quality of life (SMD 0.37) in people with multimorbidity [50].
- Exercise therapy improved objectively measured physical function (SMD 0.33) in people with multimorbidity [50].
- Exercise therapy reduced depression (SMD −0.80) in people with multimorbidity [50].
- Exercise therapy reduced anxiety symptoms (SMD −0.49) in people with multimorbidity [50].
Practical Considerations¶
- Light-intensity physical activity is an accessible public health target and a potentially valuable complement to existing physical activity guidelines [6].
- The proportion of participants meeting the health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) recommendations increased from 33.1% to 42.3% between baseline and first follow-up in the Allez Hop programme [12].
- Compared with control players, those who participated in the NMC programme found it to be less physically challenging but more enjoyable and potentially of more benefit [16].
- Policymakers should introduce physical activity promotion into the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) as an individual indicator at a cost of approximately £1 million [24].
- Brief advice is a cost-effective way to improve physical activity among adults, provided short-term mental health gains are considered [32].
Key Evidence¶
- [L5] There is little evidence that physical activity is associated with significant harm, and the benefits, in general, outweigh the risks. [1] (10.1136/bjsports-2021-104634)
- [L1] Maintenance interventions may help people continue to be physically active and improve physical function and health-related quality of life. [2] (10.1136/bjsports-2025-110444)
- [L5] The 2018 US PA guidelines opened new horizons for PA and exercise medicine practice by recognising that any bouts of PA count for health. [3] (10.1136/bjsports-2018-100397)
- [Paper] ISPAH's Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity provides a summary of eight areas for action that are supported by scientific evidence and have worldwide applicability. [4] (10.1136/bjsports-2020-103635)
- [Paper] The panel agreed on 10 major themes with strong scientific evidence that, in children and adolescents aged 6-17, participating in moderate to vigorous physical activities led to multiple positive health outcomes. [5] (10.1136/bjsports-2020-102261)
- [L5] LPA is an accessible public health target and a potentially valuable complement to existing PA guidelines, as it accounts for the majority of PA energy expenditure (51–59%). [6] (10.1136/bjsports-2025-111179)
- [L3] Sustained physical activity in older age is associated with improved overall health. [7] (10.1136/bjsports-2013-092993)
- [Paper] These 2020 WHO guidelines update previous WHO recommendations released in 2010. [9] (10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955)
- [L1] The interventions implemented at ≤12 weeks primarily improved the functional performance, whereas those lasting >12 weeks resulted in greater gains in the muscle strength and joint flexibility. [10] (10.1186/s13018-025-06430-7)
- [L1] There is moderate certainty evidence that fall prevention exercise programmes are likely to be cost-effective. [11] (10.1136/bjsports-2022-105747)
- [L4] The proportion of participants meeting the health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) recommendations increased from 33.1% to 42.3% between baseline and first follow-up. [12] (10.1136/bjsm.2009.070201)
- [Paper] Much of the evidence presented in the statements is based on longitudinal associations from observational and randomised controlled intervention studies, as well as quantitative and qualitative social studies in relatively healthy community-dwelling older adults. [13] (10.1136/bjsports-2018-100451)
- [L1] The addition of WAT-use did not have any effect on perceived joint function or HRQoL. [14] (10.1186/s12891-024-08238-8)
- [L1] AQE appears to provide meaningful pain relief for musculoskeletal disorders, with benefits that may persist during follow-up. [15] (10.1186/s12891-026-09953-0)
- [L1] Compared with control players, those who participated in the NMC programme found it to be less physically challenging but more enjoyable and potentially of more benefit. [16] (10.1136/bjsports-2013-092816)
- [L3] About 15 times more physical activity of at least moderate intensity is needed to achieve similar results. [17] (10.1136/bjsports-2023-107252)
- [L5] RCTs have failed to provide conclusive evidence that physical activity causes a reduced risk of death. [18] (10.1136/bjsports-2017-098995)
- [L5] Moderate treadmill exercise following an initial period of short-term immobilization has a positive impact on tendon-bone interface healing, whereas prolonged immobilization has a detrimental effect on physical recovery. [19] (10.1177/2325967125s00320)
- [L1] Inverse non-linear dose–response associations suggest substantial protection against a range of chronic disease outcomes from small increases in non-occupational physical activity in inactive adults. [20] (10.1136/bjsports-2022-105669)
- [L5] The ProPASS consortium aims to bring together existing and future observational studies of thigh-worn accelerometry to produce evidence on the associations of physical activity, sitting, and sleep with long-term health outcomes and longevity. [21] (10.1136/bjsports-2019-100786)
- [Paper] The consensus statement outlines approaches that may identify determinants and modifiers of CRF exercise response and recommends future research to better understand exercise response variability. [22] (10.1136/bjsports-2018-100328)
- [L5] Acknowledging the possibility that not all daily METs are the same in our scientific inquiry is an important step towards realising the full potential of bodily movement for promoting health. [23] (10.1136/bjsports-2017-098693)
- [L5] The authors propose that policymakers should introduce physical activity promotion into the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) as an individual indicator at a cost of approximately £1 million. [24] (10.1136/bjsm.2010.073726)
- [L1] PSE may act as a mechanism of action for exercise interventions, and is less successful delivered standalone. [25] (10.1186/s12891-025-09313-4)
- [L3] These findings question whether THA should be prioritized only for those patients who have severe hip OA symptoms, but require confirmation in a trial. [26] (10.1016/j.arth.2025.04.032)
- [L5] Instead, pain is modulated by many factors, and the relationship between pain and tissue becomes less predictable the longer pain persists. [27] (10.1136/bjsports-2017-098983)
- [L1] Exercise may improve pain and function with low to moderate certainty, but it is uncertain whether differences are clinically important. [29] (10.1097/corr.0000000000003476)
- [L1] Protocols using painful exercises offer a small but significant benefit over pain-free exercises in the short term, with moderate quality of evidence. [30] (10.1136/bjsports-2016-097383)
- [L1] There was a significant group-by-time interaction for mean minutes of MVPA per day in favour of the intervention group (adjusted difference between groups at follow-up=3.85 min, 95% CI (0.79 to 6.91), p≤0.01), including significantly more vigorous physical activity (2.45 min, p≤0.01), equating to 27 min more MVPA per week. [31] (10.1136/bjsports-2014-094523)
- [Paper] BA is a cost-effective way to improve PA among adults, provided short-term mental health gains are considered. [32] (10.1136/bjsports-2013-092897)
- [L1] There was no significant effect of the intervention on weekly MVPA at 12 months between the groups recorded in ≥10 min bouts (mean difference 11.8 min of MVPA, 95% CI: −2.1 to 26.0; p=0.10) or without bouts (mean difference 13.7 min of MVPA, 95% CI: −26.8 to 54.2; p=0.51). [33] (10.1136/bjsports-2020-103121)
- [L4] Because of the absence of a control group, these findings demonstrate feasibility and short-term clinical improvement but cannot establish superiority over other conservative treatments. [34] (10.1016/j.jhsg.2026.101038)
- [Paper] Results from a formal 2-year cluster randomised-controlled trial confirmed the programme was effective in improving youth FMS proficiency. [35] (10.1136/bjsports-2018-099745)
- [L1] Brief interventions promoting physical activity in primary care and the community are likely to be inexpensive compared with usual care. [37] (10.1136/bjsports-2015-094655)
- [L1] However, this programme improved other physical activity measures (ie, daily steps, MVPA, hours per week of walking), overall well-being, quality of life and disability. [38] (10.1136/bjsports-2023-107027)
- [L1] Treatment groups differed significantly in trajectories of minutes/day of physical activity (p=0.0198), through a greater change at 3 months for Web 2.0 than Web 1.0 (7.3 min/day, 95% CI 2.4 to 12.3). [39] (10.1136/bjsports-2016-096890)
- [L2] Compared with obesity-low physical activity, there was no survival benefit of being normal weight if physical activity levels were low. [40] (10.1136/bjsports-2021-104827)
- [Paper] Exercise therapy is effective for some adolescents but not all, and adherence to exercises is a challenge, with those doing home exercises three times per week or more being four times more likely to be recovered after 12 months. [41] (10.1136/bjsports-2016-096268)
- [L1] Physical activity interventions that combine self-monitoring with other components provide an additional modest yet sustained increase in step count compared with self-monitoring alone. [42] (10.1136/bjsports-2021-105198)
- [Paper] The Prisma in Exercise, Rehabilitation, Sport medicine and SporTs science (PERSiST) guidance attempts to address the problem of poor reporting of medical and healthcare systematic reviews in the sports and exercise medicine, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and sports science fields. [43] (10.1136/bjsports-2021-103987)
- [Paper] Changes to the PA guidelines, such as removal of a 10-min bout criterion, pose challenges for PA surveillance. [44] (10.1136/bjsports-2020-102621)
- [L5] The resource also delivered the first pooled analysis exploring physical activity type in relation to cardiometabolic health, showing that approximately 65 min per day of walking and 5 min of stair climbing were each linked to a more favourable cardiometabolic profile, while the adverse effects of sitting became pronounced above 12 hours per day. [45] (10.1136/bjsports-2025-111283)
- [Paper] At follow-up, 65.0% of inactive participants were taking part in sport and 85.6% were meeting recommended MVPA guidelines. [46] (10.1136/bjsports-2017-097716)
- [L5] Researchers need to prevent this looming ‘24-hour Babel’ by coming to agreement about how to collectively define PA, SB and sleep through an inclusive and systematic consensus process. [47] (10.1136/bjsports-2021-104487)
- [L1] However, most of these differences did not reach the minimum threshold to be considered clinically important. [48] (10.1016/j.jht.2024.07.006)
- [L2] Similarly, individuals not achieving the WHO guideline for physical activity showed an elevated risk, even if they were abdominally lean (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.07). [49] (10.1136/bjsports-2024-108708)
- [L1] Exercise therapy improved health-related quality of life (SMD 0.37) and objectively measured physical function (SMD 0.33) and reduced depression (SMD −0.80) and anxiety symptoms (SMD −0.49). [50] (10.1136/bjsports-2021-104367)
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