This consensus, developed by 27 experts across 13 countries with input from patient representatives, is a global effort to provide guidance on how to integrate the assessment, prescription and promotion of physical activity into routine clinical care when healthcare professionals consult patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).1 We focused on the question clinicians repeatedly ask: how do we address physical activity in clinical practice when patients mainly seek our care for more specific problems, such as a painful knee, hypertension or diabetes management?1

Why a consensus was needed

Healthcare professionals face multiple barriers when addressing physical activity, including limited time, insufficient knowledge or confidence in counselling skills.2 The result is a global implementation gap where physical activity is known to be beneficial across a wide range of conditions3 but is rarely prescribed systematically.4 The ACTIVATE expert group recognised that while the WHO…