If important national physical activity and fitness objectives are to be achieved by the year 2000, health promotion and retention efforts must be accelerated. A potentially promising method for accelerating these efforts is through the use of minimal contact communication strategies (eg, correspondence courses). For example, one study showed that single packets of written self-help exercise materials delivered through the mail were equally as effective as a standard fitness in changing subjects' exercise behavior over 12 weeks and more effective than multiple mailings of the same materials of the same materials that were contained in the single packet. Other potential methods for accelerating these efforts include reoperationalizing the exercise prescription itself and identifying an individual's stage of change and then using the stage-appropriated behavior change processes identified in the transtheoretical model. Five stages (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance) and ten processes (consciousness raising, contingency management, counterconditioning, dramatic relief, environmental reevaluation, relationship fostering, self-reevaluation, social liberation, social reevaluation, and stimulus control) have been identified in the transtheoretical model. Within the exercise domain, Marcus and colleagues have shown support for the transtheoretical model and Blair and colleagues have speculated about the validity of reoperationalizing the exercise prescription. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of mail-delivered, self-instructional exercise packets designed to motivate, encourage and support women's movement through the stages of exercise behavior.

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