Physical Activity Interventions for Health Promotion Across the Life Course: Scientific Evidence, Determinants, and Implementation Strategies – A Narrative Review

Physical inactivity remains one of the leading global risk factors for morbidity and premature 
mortality. Despite extensive scientific evidence confirming the multidimensional health 
benefits of regular physical activity (PA), the proportion of individuals meeting 
recommended levels of physical activity remains low across all age groups. This article 
presents a narrative review of the literature, synthesizing the findings of key systematic 
reviews and international health promotion strategies in order to assess the effectiveness of 
various physical activity interventions from early childhood to older adulthood. The analysis 
highlights the significant role of behavioral, environmental, political, and psychosocial 
factors that substantially influence physical activity levels within populations. It also 
indicates that effective health promotion requires a multidimensional approach and 
collaboration across different sectors of social life. Integrating physical activity initiatives 
with education, proper nutrition, technological development, and local community 
engagement appears to be one of the most important directions for action, fostering greater 
regularity, accessibility, and equity in physical activity participation among diverse social 
groups.