Home-based physical activity strategies for healthy adults: A scoping review

Abstract

Home-based physical activity (PA) programs have been identified as a potentially effective strategy for reducing sedentary behaviors and promoting physical health. This scoping review aims to collect strategies for increasing home-based PA for healthy adults. The search conducted in November 2022 encompassed PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. The focus of the search was to identify primary studies on strategies to increase home-based PA in healthy individuals. The extracted data from the identified studies were recorded in a data-charting form specifically designed. Two authors thoroughly reviewed the extracted data to ensure accuracy and consistency. To summarize and present the findings, a narrative synthesizing approach was employed. Strategies based on characteristics of PA, individual characteristics, social support, establishing suitable conditions at home, using technology to engage in PA, strategies based on theoretical foundations, and pursuing PA programs were analyzed. The valuable results of the present study can become the basis for increasing PA, especially at home and in developing societies. Health policymakers, health promotion professionals, researchers, and healthcare providers can implement the most appropriate strategies for PA at home.

Introduction

Multiple pieces of evidence show that inactivity can lead to chronic diseases and premature mortality. Conversely, regular PA improves physical and mental health, increases energy and endurance, and helps maintain normal weight and better cognitive function.[1,2] According to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, adults should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic PA or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic PA or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week.[3] The goal of the WHO global strategic plan for PA is to reduce the global prevalence of physical inactivity by 15% by 2030.[4]

The causes of overweight and obesity are multifaceted, from individual behavioral choices to macrolevel planning decisions and global food production practices that promote energy imbalances.[5] Previous studies have reported that organized PA has a significant effect on body fat, body mass index, and mental health.[6,7]

Currently, studies have shown that only 25% of women and 35% of men have at least 60 minutes of moderate to intense PA per day.[8,9] Therefore, research data have shown that adults do not have an adequate level of PA, which can jeopardize their current and future health. Additionally, a trend analysis over 16 years showed a steady increase in PA prevalence in Iran, reaching 55.4% in 2016.[10] The results of a study dealing with inactivity showed that the effect of mind–body interventions at home such as Tai-chi, Dance, and Yoga on improving cognitive and emotional regulation as well as functional fitness were noted.[11]

Home-based PA programs represent a potentially effective strategy for reducing sedentary behaviors, social isolation, and promoting enjoyable forms of PA. These activities are recommended as an effective measure to stay healthy,[12,13] strengthen immune system function,[12,14] and improve general physical function and physical fitness.[15] These programs have better adherence than other locations and lead to longer-term positive benefits in individuals.[16,17]

“Strategies” refer to appropriate interventions and approaches designed to encourage and support women’s participation in PAs in their home environment. These strategies may include personalized exercise programs, consideration of cultural and gender barriers, and the use of technology to increase participation and adherence to PA routines. Many studies have been published in the field of PA, including interventions aimed at preventing weight gain in specific patient groups[18,19] and those focused on diet-related factors.[3,20] However, there remains a gap in the literature concerning tailored interventions for healthy adults engaging in PA at home.

To our knowledge, this is the first scoping review to investigate strategies that increase PA at home in a healthy adult population; other studies have explored PA at home among patients, especially the elderly. By filling this gap, policymakers can use appropriate strategies to promote health at the community level. By addressing this gap, policymakers can implement effective strategies to promote community health.

Materials and Method

Study design

In this conceptual review study, we utilized the protocol of Arksey and O’Malley,[21] which consists of five steps: identifying the research questions, conducting a comprehensive search for relevant studies using reliable databases, selecting relevant studies to the research objectives, charting the collected data, and collecting, summarizing, and generating reports. It is important to mention that scoping reviews, unlike systematic reviews, encompass studies with different designs and methodologies.[22]

Research Question: Our review was guided by the question: what strategies are used in the field to increase home-based PA in healthy adults?

Identifying Relevant Studies (Literature Search): The initial literature search across six databases including PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar was conducted in November 2022 in the English language without time restrictions. We used a combination of medical subject headings (MeSH) and free text terms such as “intervention* OR strateg*”, “physical activit*” OR exercise* OR sport OR walking OR “physical movement*” OR “physical action” *”, “healthy”, and “home”. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive search of gray literature and reviewed the reference lists of potentially overlooked included studies, including study protocols and conference abstracts, to identify any pertinent research [Supplementary Material 1].

Eligibility Criteria: In this study, all studies examining home-based PA strategies for healthy individuals were included, except for pregnant women, patients, elderly, and students.

Study Selection: The management of records was carried out using the EndNote X9 software. Two authors (M.NS and F.P.) independently and simultaneously conducted the selection of studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Following the collection of articles, the titles and abstracts were screened, and any duplicates were eliminated. Subsequently, the full texts of all eligible studies were assessed. The final decision regarding the inclusion of studies was made through a discussion between the two reviewers. In case of any discrepancies, the two authors engaged in further discussion until reaching an agreement. If no consensus was reached, a third author (Z.JV) was involved to make the final inclusion decision.

Data Charting: To validate its effectiveness, the data extraction process was experimentally carried out on multiple studies using the JBI checklist.[23] The included studies provided the following extracted data: the last name of the first author, year of publication, origin/country of origin (where the source was published or conducted), study type, aims purpose/population and sample size, methodology, outcomes, PA strategies, and suggestion [Table 1].

Table 1.

Home-based physical activity strategies in included studies

Author(s)/publication year/Country	Population/sample size	Period	Study type	Strategies	Outcome	Suggestion
Alonso-Fernandez D et al., (2022), Galicia, Spain	healthy adults (n=21)	8 weeks	RCT	Use of HIIT	Physical and mental health	How the level of muscular strength and aerobic capacity respond to HIIT training in confinement.
S. Anand S et al., (2007), Ohsweken, Canada	Households (n=57)	6 months	RCT	The delivery of intervention by PMT, SLT, normative influences, and theories of persuasion	Nutrition, PA	Requires to a larger and longer-term intervention for structural behavior change and structural barriers.
Catellani P et al., (2021), Milan, Italy	Students (n=272)	-	RCT	Development dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) with psychosocial theories and AI	PA	integration of social psychology and AI
W. Bickmore et al., (2013), USA	Patient (n=112)	2 months	RCT	Automated health intervention with software representation	Nutrition, PA	Use of open-source software, designed using public standards
Borrega-Mouquinho Y et al., (2021), Spain	healthy adults (n=67)	6 weeks	RCT	Use of HIIT, MIT	Mental health	HIIT or MIT home-based sessions should regularly be applied (under professional supervision)
Chang Mei-Wei et al., (2019), USA Michigan	Women (n=569)	16 week	RCT	Video lessons, peer support group teleconferences	mental health, Nutrition, PA	consider including peers
M. Farrell B et al., (2010), French East	healthy adults (n=100)	3 months	RCT Thesis	Pamphlet, followed up monthly by phone	Nutrition, PA	Using sustainable solutions in sports and food interventions
N Laska M et al., (2017), USA	Students (n=441)	24 months	RCT	Credit academic course and social networking and support online intervention. Online, face to face, hybrid.	Nutrition, PA	More work in this area
A. Gorin A et al., (2013), Island	Adults (n=201)	18 months	RCT	Availability of exercise equipment and modifying sedentary activities with exercise-related magazines, videotapes, resistance bands, and motivational posters	Nutrition, PA	More research for creating sustained environmental and behavioral changes that lead to weight-loss maintenance
Logue C et al., (2020), Northern Ireland	Families (n=16)	12 weeks	RCT	Home-based technology	Nutrition, PA	Using intelligent personal systems to facilitate behavior change
B. Ransdell L et al., (2014), USA	mother-daughter (n=40)	3 months	RCT	University-based (UB) and home-based (HB) groups	PA	Further research to determine the relationship PA and physical self-perception
B. Ransdell L et al., (2003), USA	mother-daughter (n=40)	12 weeks	RCT	Home-based PA programming: aerobic, muscular strength, and flexibility activities, muscular endurance	PA	Home-based PA a productive and cost-effective means of increasing PA in mothers and daughters
Wilke J et al., (2022), Germany	healthy individuals from 9 countries (n=763)	8 weeks	RCT	Tele-exercise program: virtual gym	PA, mental well-being	Future research should be geared toward refining and enhancing implementation.
Winston G et al., (2019), USA	Adults (n=102)	6 months	RCT	Child support by parents: verbal encouragement, joining in the behavior change	Weight Loss	Further investigation of family-focused weight loss interventions
V. Ries A et al., (2009), Rhode Island and Pennsylvania	Project STRIDE (n=239) Project SIM (n=249)	STRID=4 SIM=3	RCT	Various delivery channels for providing individually tailored motivational materials: website, print materials, and tailored telephone by a health educator.	PA	The importance of conducting research to examine how perceptions are formed and what causes them to change.
Fischer T et al., (2020), German	Adults (n=106)	1 year	SAT	Video-based smartphone app ‘VIDEA bewegt’	PA	To evaluate the effectiveness trials while enrolling a larger number of participants.
C. Kegler M et al., (2012), South Georgia	Adults (n=90)	6 week	Q-ED	The intervention, based on SCT, goal-setting theory, and coaching models, CBPR approach	Weight Loss	Intervention research that links the medical home with the actual home via a community-based intervention developed.
Yiga P et al., (2021), Kampala, Uganda/East Africa	Women adults (n=81)	FGD=6	QS	Barriers affecting on PA: intra-individual determinants (knowledge gaps and self-efficacy), sociocultural norms (gender stereotypes), home (limited space and sedentary entertainment like social media and TV), physical environment (cheap motorized transportation)	Nutrition, PA	Need for comprehensive interventions that could address sociocultural misconceptions, financial and time limitations through bridging gaps in knowledge, skills and self-efficacy.
R. Bull E et al., (2018), Netherlands	35 RCT	1995-2006	SRs And MA	Instruction based on behavioral practice/rehearsal or instruction in home/community settings	Nutrition, PA, Smoking	Future experimental studies will use the identified components to reduce health inequalities
Bacanoiu M et al., (2022), Romania	18 studies	2 years	Review	Online technological interventions	Motor and cognitive functions	Interdisciplinary strategy includes the promotion of PA and encouraging use of technology for PA participation
R. Maza A, (2022), USA	14 studies	18 months	ScR	MBIs at home: Tai-chi, Yoga, Dance. Video, handouts, and live instruction.	Functional fitness	More randomized trials with larger and diverse sample sizes for to understand the feasibility and efficacy of fully home-based interventions.

Randomized controlled trial (RCT), Systematic Review studies (SRs), Meta-Analysis (MA), Single-Arm Trial (SAT), quasiexperimental design (Q-ED), Qualitative study (QS), scoping review (ScR), focus group discussions (FGDs). High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), moderate-intensity training (MIT), community-based participatory research (CBPR), Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), Social Learning Theory (SLT), Mind-body interventions (MBIs)

Collating, Summarizing, and Reporting the Results: The lead author (Z. JV) extracted the data from the included studies. To ensure accuracy, two other authors (M. NS and F.P.) reviewed the content of the data abstract. The extracted data were then compiled to identify PA strategies. A descriptive narrative synthesizing method was used to report the findings and address the scoping review questions. The supplementary material contains detailed information from the studies, including the strategies, presented in charting form.

Results

Literature Search and Study Selection: A total of 913 records were identified through database searching. After exporting all searched records to Endnote, the duplicate publications were removed. Titles and abstracts of the remaining records were screened, and 879 studies were excluded due to irrelevancy. Then, the full text of the 35 remaining studies was assessed and 14 were excluded [Supplementary Material 2]. Finally, 21 studies were included in our review. The literature search and study selection process are presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Flow chart of the literature search and study selection process

Summary of Included Studies: Studies have been conducted from 2007 to 2022 in developed European and American countries (n = 20). Only one study was conducted in Uganda located in East Africa.[24] Most of the studies were randomized clinical trials (n = 17). The remaining were conducted with other designs, including qualitative,[24] observational,[25] quasiexperimental,[20] and three review studies.[3,7,11] Of the 21 studies, eight studied exclusively PA strategies.[11,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32] Other studies, in addition to PA, reported mental and social health[33] such as stress,[34] depression,[6,34] anxiety, resilience,[34] behaviors, quality related to sleep,[7] nutritional behaviors,[3,7,20,24,33,35,36] and lifestyle.[7,37] Their main goal was to prevent obesity. Interventions were carried out in the age group of 18–70 years with participant numbers ranging from 16 to 762. The duration of interventions varied from 6 weeks to 24 months.

Narrative Summary of Findings: The review of studies showed valuable findings regarding PA strategies for healthy people in seven main categories. The main categories and subsets of PA strategies are given in Table 2.

Table 2.

Home-based physical activity strategies in included studies

Strategies based on characteristics of PA
Level of Intensity-Based Home PA Strategies •Exercise: Organized Pas[8] •Non-exercise PA: Daily activities[8,30]	•Vigorous-intensity PA: HIIT[6] •Moderate-intensity PA: moderate or high-intensity aerobic sports[7,28,29,34] •Low-intensity PA: light walking and home-based PA[26,27]
Type-Based Home PA Strategies	•Aerobic Exercises: Running and Walking experiences,[7,26,27,35,37]Swimming,[20] Dance[7,11] •Strengthening Exercises: push-ups[26] •Flexibility Exercises: Yoga,[7,11] Stretching[26] •Balance Exercises: Tai Chi[11] •Bone Strengthening Exercises: Running[26,35] •According to its severity, dance is placed in all the above categories.
Duration-Based Home PA Strategies	•Duration of PA 6 weeks-24 months •Number of training sessions: daily, weekly, twice a week, 5-6 days a week. A study with a social-ecological perspective lasted 4 years[30] •Time sessions from 30-40 minutes.
Strategies based on Psychological Characteristics	•Self-efficacy,[24,25,33] self-regulation[26]
Social support	•Family support,[20,27-29,32,36,37]social groups,[7,26,27,33,37] Physical education specialists[11,20,28] such as physical education coach and research team,[6,7,25,30,34] Engage Children to support parents in PA,[31] locally trained residents as coaches.[20]
Establishing suitable conditions
Outdoor environment	•Environmental and Structural effects[6,25]
Indoor Environmental (changes at home)	•Sports equipment at home: treadmills or stationary bikes[20,24,26-31,38] •Reducing sedentary behaviors: leisure time and sleeping time,[3,7,34,37]watching TV,[20,24,27] working with the computer[11,32,33,35,36]
Using technology to engage in PA	•Artificial intelligence[26,35] •Simulated conversations with users on home computers[35,36] •Video programs,[25,27,33] telephone conferences[33] •Smart technologies and personal phones[7,25] •Virtual reality and active video games[7] •Active smart trackers,[8,30,39] social media[23]
Theoretical basis strategies	•TTM,[6] SCT,[6,31] TPB,[24,26] behavioral intention model,[26] persuasive model,[26] self-regulation model,[26] protective motivational theories,[25,35,37] SLT,[37] SNT,[19] HBM,[24] coaching models,[20] social support theory[29]
Pursuing PA programs
other-directed follow-up strategies	•Creating opportunities to practice and repeat active movements[3] •Providing instructions on how to perform the behavior[3] •Preparing persuasive messages: announcing positive or negative outcomes[26] •Providing motivation[31,35,37] •Finding obstacles[33] and solving them (individual,[24] structural[37] and environmental,[11] using Encouragement and punishment,[7,27,31,36] individual and group counseling[7,20,25,35,38]
self-directed follow-up strategies	•Individual prompts and reminders through home computer systems[36] •Self-monitoring component[3,7,30]

Trans-theoretical Model (TTM), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Social Learning Theories (SLT), Social Network Theories (SNT), Health Belief Model (HBM)

1. Strategies based on PA characteristics: They include intensity, type, and duration of sessions.

2. Psychological characteristics: This category focuses on self-efficacy and self-regulation.

3. Social support: Three studies did not address the effect of social support.

4. Establishing suitable conditions at home: There are two classifications the indoor and outdoor environment.

5. Using technology to engage in PA: Twelve articles were included in this group.

6. Strategies based on theoretical foundations: Educational models are mentioned in eight studies.

7. Pursuing PA programs: Seventeen studies have addressed the follow-up factor in PA.

Figure 2 shows the relationships between the obtained strategies for PA (location theoretical framework).

Figure 2.

Theoretical framework of home-based physical activity strategie

Discussion

Home-based PA is very interested in motivating, increasing PA, and preventing obesity in the home environment. Therefore, due to its availability and cheapness, the strategies obtained from this study can interest policymakers, which may lead to innovative interventions.

The review mostly included studies from developed countries, showing a lack of focus on promoting PA in developing countries. There are various reasons for this, including economic constraints, lack of infrastructure, and cultural factors.[40] Additionally, the healthcare systems in these countries face economic and managerial challenges, leading to a greater emphasis on biomedical approaches rather than health promotion.[41]

A review of 21 studies on PA strategies and obesity prevention found that eight studies exclusively focused on PA, while the remaining studies had obesity prevention as their main objective. The review suggests that interventions focusing solely on PA are more effective. The strategies identified in the studies were categorized into seven categories, including a variety of PA options, interventions based on individual characteristics, social support, establishing suitable conditions at home, using technology to engage in PA, strategies based on theoretical foundations, and pursuing PA programs.

The theoretical framework of the present study demonstrates that an individual’s psychological state, including motivation, self-efficacy, and self-regulation, can influence the characteristics of PA. On the other hand, their levels of PA can also affect an individual’s psychological state. Self-efficacy and self-regulation are recognized as key determinants of PA behavior,[39] and they have a two-way relationship.[42]

Strategies based on characteristics of PA imply the dimensions of PA, including its frequency, intensity, time, and type, which are all related and have a significant impact on the effectiveness and benefits of the activity. Frequency refers to the frequency of PA, with a recommendation of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week.[3] Intensity refers to the level of effort required, with high-intensity workouts leading to improved fitness levels and more calories burned. However, they also carry a higher risk of injury and may not be suitable for everyone. Low-intensity exercise, such as walking or gentle yoga, can have health benefits, but it takes longer to see results. Time refers to the duration of PA, the benefits of which usually increase with more time spent on activity. However, to avoid overtraining, it is important to balance duration with intensity and frequency.[43] The type of PA is also important, and different activities have different benefits. Aerobic activities improve cardiovascular health, resistance training builds and maintains muscle mass, and flexibility training improves the range of motion and reduces the risk of injury.[3] Incorporating a variety of physical activities into our daily routine is beneficial for overall health.[44] It is important to consider all these dimensions when planning a PA routine to achieve the desired results and prevent injury.

Various studies highlight the role of self-efficacy in helping overweight or obese individuals reduce stress and depressive symptoms.[24,25,33] Self-efficacy is often recognized as a psychosocial factor influencing PA and has been shown to play a secondary or mediating role in PA behavior.[45,46] There is a connection between consistent daily adherence and increased PA[3,47] training that involves repeated practice.[48]

Creating and maintaining motivation increase PA.[30,32,37,49] Motivation seems to promote long-term PA.[50] Furthermore, individuals with autonomous and interjected motivation profiles engage in more PA, confirming the positive effect of autonomous motivation and interjected regulation on PA involvement.[51]

Psychological characteristics of people can influence the level of social support they seek or receive. For example, individuals with higher self-efficacy may be more likely to seek support from friends or family to maintain PA.[52] Social support plays a crucial role in influencing an individual’s psychological state by acting as a buffer against stress and adversity, ultimately impacting mental health and well-being.[53] Social support moderates the relationship between condition and step changes, indicating that social support from family, especially parents, and friends, influences PA and activity habitus.[54] Family support is an important factor in promoting and sustaining PA. Family members can provide verbal encouragement, help with responsibilities, exercise together, and exercise to appease children, which can facilitate PA engagement.

An article states that there is a positive cross-sectional relationship between contact with friends/neighbors and PA, while contact with family/relatives is associated with increased PA over 5 years. Therefore, friends may be better motivators for PA than family members.[55] The use of physical education specialists can show people the right movement patterns and sports skills, making them happier and more willing to continue PA. Coaching combined with a focus on the home environment may be a promising strategy for weight gain prevention in adults.[56] Many people think that the presence of children will obstruct the PA of the parents,[57] while a study has focused on engaging children to support the PA of the parents.[31]

Training volunteers as health promoters and role models can reduce sedentary behavior, improve PA,[58] and guide families in choosing “healthy actions”.[20] Also, having a walking companion or joining a fitness group can increase adherence to a regular PA program because group settings provide social support, accountability, and a sense of belonging, which are all key facilitators of adherence.[6] Therefore, social support can help create suitable conditions for PA.

In the category of suitable conditions for PA, the effective factors in the indoor environment have been discussed. Reducing sedentary behaviors at home, such as leisure time, watching TV, and sleeping time, is associated with increased PA.[3,7,34] It is possible to reduce sedentary behavior at home by implementing the rules of watching TV, putting full-length mirrors and weighing scales in certain places at home, or using sports movements while working on the computer. Also, home exercise equipment such as treadmills or stationary bikes and suitable spaces have a positive relationship with moderate to vigorous daily PA.[24,26]

A suitable condition can facilitate the effective use of technology for PA. These factors enhance the workout experience, provide accountability, and make exercise more accessible and enjoyable.[59]

Technology can be used to connect, encourage, and motivate people’s PA.[60] Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role in obesity management by offering innovative solutions such as personalized interventions, predictive modeling for risk identification, and enhancing educational programs.[60,61] Smartphone apps and active video games[62,63] or pedometers with built-in virtual reward systems[64] or reminder text messages can help engage individuals in PA.[60] Website interaction and digital exercise can affect PA[32,65] as a website with more interactive and social features is more effective in improving PA in real-world conditions, and digital exercise intervention effects on exercise level and intensity.[66,67] Social media can be used to promote PA by providing tangible assistance, network support, expressing a variety of social supports, and emphasizing motor skills activities such as incentives, goal setting, and family-oriented tips and advice.[68,69] Therefore, technology can be used to deliver multicomponent interventions to encourage PA and engage more participants, improving access to and adherence to home-based PA promotion interventions.

Theoretical models can be used to apply technology in promoting PA by understanding the factors that influence user acceptance and adoption of technology-based interventions.[70] Models like TTM and psychological theories of motivation and behavior change offer distinct approaches to using technology for PA promotion; TTM emphasizes tailored multimedia interventions based on its stages of change concept, showing effectiveness in increasing PA levels[71,72] and psychological theories focus on creating optimal motivational conditions through digital platforms.[73] Evidence from published studies shows that the chances of success of interventions based on theory and models are significantly higher than interventions made without reference to theories.[74,75] Also, they provide a framework for designing interventions and understanding exercise behaviors, although no single model is sufficient to fully explain or guide interventions.

The most used models in the reviewed studies were the social cognitive model and protection motivational theories, which can be the reason for the importance of motivation, especially internal motivations such as the need for respect, and progress, and emphasizing the importance of social support and self-efficacy.[76,77,78]

There is a need to strengthen the relationship between theory and educational practice in physical education through innovation, testing models, strategies, and new educational content to promote lifelong participation in PA.[79] The use of models and theories along with active educational methods and the use of educational media such as printed materials, motivational posters, and pamphlets will increase the effectiveness of PA interventions.[25,33]

Pursuing PA can be done by the individual or by others.[3,7,25,36] For example, self-monitoring is a cornerstone of many complex PA interventions[80,81] and leads to increased self-efficacy, adherence to PA goals at home, and improved PA levels. Also, the role of encouragement in learning actions and components of motor skills such as PA has been proven.[82] Therefore, follow-up by the individual and important others can play a key role in maintaining and promoting PA.

The ability to overcome obstacles to engaging in PA is an important facilitator of maintaining PA. There are environmental barriers such as limited home space, sedentary entertainment such as social media, and television and individual obstacles such as time and financial barriers, knowledge gaps, and self-efficacy.[11,24,83,84] Hence, it is necessary to focus on the development of criteria to evaluate the barriers according to the house condition in the path of activity and to examine the relationship of this criterion with the patterns of activity and performance.

The effectiveness of individual and group counseling and the use of supervision increase people’s PA.[7,83,84] Therefore, PA counseling and focusing on behavior change frameworks by health professionals are effective.

Finally, this study highlights the dynamic and interactive nature of the relationships between these strategies, demonstrating a holistic approach to promoting PA among healthy individuals. The study emphasizes the need for collaboration between health promotion specialists and social health researchers in both developed and developing countries to improve the quality and quantity of actions related to promoting PA at home.

Strengths and limitations

Despite the breadth of the subject area in this review and the availability of many articles, this is the first attempt to review the literature on home-based PA strategies. A comprehensive search strategy was performed on invalid databases. This review analyzed a valuable and encouraging body of research on home-based PA interventions in the literature.

However, this scoping review has some limitations that need to be acknowledged. First, we only included articles published in English, which may have limited our review’s range of perspectives and contexts. Second, we did not conduct a quality assessment of the included studies as this was beyond the scope of our scoping review. Therefore, we cannot comment on the methodological rigor, ethical standards, or risk of bias of the studies. This may have limited our ability to synthesize and compare the data and draw generalizable conclusions.

Future studies may consider using a systematic review or meta-analysis approach to address these issues and provide more robust and comprehensive findings.

Conclusion

Due to increased inactivity and the contribution of PA to the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan, now is the right time to invest in PA. This investment is due to not only the direct benefits (physical, mental, and social) of PA but also the impact of PA in reaching a more equal, sustainable, and successful world. The results of this study can create a path for health policymakers, health promotion professionals, researchers, and health care providers to design home-based PA interventions for different populations, age groups, and geographic locations by selecting the appropriate strategies. Furthermore, policymakers can offer these interventions for free in various settings, especially health centers, so that people can use them to improve their quality of life. However, more research is needed to understand and optimize the factors that influence the success and sustainability of these strategies.

Abbreviations

Physical Activity (PA), World Health Organization (WHO), High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM), Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Funding Statement

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (IR.TBZMED.REC.1402.182).