title: Previously inactive rural adults' experiences of commencing and maintaining a walking routine following participation in a walking intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to richly describe previously inactive Riverland adults' experiences of commencing and maintaining a walking routine following participation in a walking intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative description using semi-structured in-depth interviews and thematic analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Riverland, South Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine adults (four men and five women) aged between 40 and 65 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six-week walking intervention included issuing of pedometers, setting goals, completing logs and weekly emails to remind participants to wear their pedometers, recording of steps and provision of strategies for increasing daily steps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rich description of participants' experiences represented by four themes and a number of subthemes, supported by direct quotes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four themes: taking care of me through my walk, pedometers and accountability as motivators, fitting walking in and commencing and maintaining a walking routine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The participants' experience of commencing a walking routine differed from maintaining a walking routine. Future attempts to support maintenance of a walking routine may be strengthened through identifying and including ways to provide accountability for walking to others beyond the intervention as well as strategies that support the integration of walking into every activity. Furthermore, future walking interventions should enable participants to tailor their walks to their own preferences and mental health benefits of walking should be promoted at least as much as the physical benefits.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seekamp
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dollman
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gilbert-Hunt
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012424:Rural Population; D013021:South Australia; D016138:Walking
keywords: maintenance of walking; mental health; physical activity; promotion; rural