Table 4 Suggestions to address barriers and enablers of VILPA in practice and research

Barriers

Physical limitations

• Explore which VILPA activities can be feasibly done for individuals with different physical limitations

Perceptions of aging

• Provide education on challenging aging stereotypes

• Emphasize the importance of relative (increasing intensity over and above what they normally do), as opposed to absolute (comparing to others or their younger selves), intensity in the promotion of VILPA

Need for knowledge

• Develop specific guidelines on VILPA and how to integrate VILPA into everyday activities

Environmental constraints

• Provide environmental cues relevant to diverse settings

Perceptions of effort and energy

• Create opportunities for individuals to experience positive affect as a result of doing VILPA

Fear

• Address injury and fall concerns

• Provide VILPA safety guidelines

Enablers

Convenience

• Emphasize that VILPA can be done anytime, anywhere

Reframing physical activity

• Highlight that people can experience physical activity benefits through purposeful movement

Use of prompts and reminders

• Remind individuals at the right time and place to do VILPA (e.g., when located near stairs in a shopping center)

Normalization of taking the active option

• Develop social norms (via e.g., messages and campaigns) to encourage individuals to do VILPA

Gamification

• Incorporate gamification elements into mobile applications and programs designed to increase VILPA

Sense of achievement

• Suggest ways in which individuals may feel a sense of achievement from doing VILPA

Health improvement

• Highlight the specific health outcomes of VILPA, including how much is needed to achieve those outcomes

Personally salient rewards

Identity fit

Changing from effortful deliberation to habitual action

• Encourage the use of personally salient rewards

• Use communication strategies (e.g., on social media) that emphasize how VILPA aligns with the identity of non-exercisers

• Encourage the development of routines by identifying context-specific triggers/cues that elicit specific VILPA activities