Maintenance of physical activity: Do we know what we are talking about?

OBJECTIVE: Physical activity has to be performed regularly in order to achieve long-term health benefits. Studying the maintenance of physical activity and comparing study results requires a shared descriptive definition and a derived operationalization. Both are still lacking. The goal of this article is to briefly summarize how "maintenance of physical activity" is used in the scientific literature. Further, a descriptive definition and its operational application are introduced. METHOD: A rapid literature search was completed in order to summarize the different concepts and usages of the term “maintenance of physical activity.” RESULTS: "Maintenance of physical activity" is used and defined in different ways. All of them have strengths and weaknesses. An approach that respects the volatility of physical activity is lacking. That’s why the lapse–recovery relationship is introduced. CONCLUSION: People’s physical activity volume is often volatile, which is crucial for defining and assessing "maintenance of physical activity". The lapse–recovery relationship is an individual-centered approach respecting this volatility. It refers to an intentionally changed behavior and uses lapses and recoveries as indicators to operationalize the maintenance of physical activity.