How Health and Fitness Professionals Can Further Advance the Nation's Health by Working Across the Ecological Model

Abstract

Apply It! From this article, readers should: • Identify how health and fitness professionals can promote health and wellness among their fitness center, health club, or gym members, clients, patients, and communities by working collaboratively with colleagues across multiple levels of an ecological model. • Understand how using evidence-based intervention approaches recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force may enhance the effect of health and fitness professionals on increasing physical activity. • Learn why it's important to help create physical activity-friendly communities and how they can help support fitness centers, health clubs, or gyms and the efforts of members, clients, or patients to be more physically active in and out of health and fitness facilities. • Identify ways to take action in their community in support of Active People, Healthy Nationsm, CDC's national initiative to increase physical activity, by creating and contributing to equitable policy, systems, and environmental changes to support active lifestyles and decrease physical inactivity.