Table 3.
Body of Research Evidence Supporting the Known Health Benefits, by Program Type
| Strength of evidence |
||||
| Known health benefits | n (%) | Dose–response relationship | n (%) | |
| Type of program | Strong evidence | |||
| Aerobic exercise | 85 (81.7) | Aerobic exercise | 34 (32.7) | |
| Walking | 77 (73.3) | Walking | 31 (29.8) | |
| Anaerobic/resistance exercise | 51 (49.0) | Anaerobic/resistance exercise | 15 (14.6) | |
| Balance exercise | 28 (27.2) | Balance exercise | 7 (6.8) | |
| Multicomponent exercise programs | 20 (19.2) | Multicomponent exercise programs | 6 (5.8) | |
| Flexibility exercise | 16 (15.5) | Behavior change programs | 6 (5.9) | |
| Behavior change programs | 16 (15.4) | Flexibility exercise | 5 (4.9) | |
| Moderate evidence | ||||
| Behavior change programs | 56 (53.8) | Walking | 45 (43.3) | |
| Balance exercise | 52 (50.5) | Aerobic exercise | 40 (38.5) | |
| Multicomponent exercise programs | 48 (46.2) | Anaerobic/resistance exercise | 32 (31.1) | |
| Flexibility exercise | 44 (42.7) | Balance exercise | 29 (28.2) | |
| Anaerobic/resistance exercise | 42 (40.4) | Flexibility exercise | 21 (20.4) | |
| Walking | 25 (23.8) | Multicomponent exercise programs | 21 (20.4) | |
| Aerobic exercise | 16 (15.4) | Behavior change programs | 20 (19.6) | |
| Low evidence | ||||
| Flexibility exercise | 37 (35.9) | Behavior change programs | 52 (51.0) | |
| Multicomponent exercise programs | 26 (25.0) | Flexibility exercise | 49 (47.6) | |
| Behavior change programs | 17 (16.3) | Multicomponent exercise programs | 49 (47.6) | |
| Balance exercise | 16 (15.5) | Anaerobic resistance exercise | 47 (45.6) | |
| Anaerobic/resistance exercise | 9 (8.7) | Balance exercise | 43 (41.7) | |
| Aerobic exercise | 2 (1.9) | Aerobic exercise | 26 (25.0) | |
| Walking | 2 (1.9) | Walking | 26 (25.0) | |