12-week Acceleration program uses education and exercise to reduce lifestyle risk factors
Extract from article by Jan. 11, 2016
The idea behind Acceleration is to employ the tools of cardiac rehab, primarily education and exercise, before an illness develops, a sort of pre-hab, rather than rehab. One of the study participants had read a brochure about the program, which said it would help people who have a “lack of motivation.” Previously, this participant had enjoyed working with a personal trainer until it got too expensive. Without the trainer, she stopped exercising. To keep people motivated, the Acceleration program steers away from a didactic, just “do it,” approach, explains behavioural change expert Simon Bacon. Instead, it focuses on participants’ reasons for wanting to change. It emphasizes small achievable goals. “Success breeds success,” says Bacon.