Tips & tools for counselling people on physical activity

Taken from smoking cessation counselling techniques, the 5 A model provides a guide for health care providers to effectively counsel patients on health behaviour changes using brief interventions.

The 5 A's

Ask/Assess - Beliefs, behaviour and knowledge surrounding physical activity

Advise - Provide specific information about the health risks and benefits of becoming more active

Agree - Set a goal together based on your patient's interests

Assist - Address barriers your patients are facing to becoming more active

Arrange - Follow Up

Some ideas depending on how much time you have:

Click here if you have 30 seconds - 1 minute

Click here if you have 3 minutes

Click here if you have 5 minutes

The Alberta Centre for Active Living has developed a physical activity toolkit in 6 different languages to help practitioners counsel people on becoming more active

If your patient is...

Thinking about becoming active

Use Tool A - Taking the first steps

Planning on becoming active

Use Tool B - Making a physical activity plan

In the early stages of being active

Use Tool C - Setting goals for physical activity

Active but then relapses

Use Tool D - What stops you from being physically active

Do you work with young parents or families, visit our
With Family page for great tips you can help pass along.