INTRODUCTION: In this study, physical activity counseling and exercise prescriptions have given to sedentary elderly by primary care doctors. And then it has aimed to examine the effects of this counseling and prescriptions on physical activity level and functional abilities. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Sedentary patients aged 50 to 70, without any physical health condition participated voluntarily to this study. The control group comprised of 69 inviduals and the intervention group of 51 individuals. The intervention group were advised to exercise and were trained 30 minutes on physical activity. Exercise presription, a set of education was also handed out. prescriptions were renewed every month. The individuals in control group were informed by their doctors for 5 to 10 minutes on how to increase the physical activity and about the benefits of physical activity. With the aim of measuring the effectiveness of exercise prescriptions daily energy expenditure, antropometric measure, functional measures and repeated at the 3rd and 6th month of study. RESULTS: A significant improvement between first and last measures of daily energy expenditure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist and hip circumference, BMI, resting pulse, down extremity strenght, upper extremity strenght, down extremity flexibility, upper extremity flexibility, balance characteristic (p < 0.05) in the intervention group was observed. Between groups a significant difference was observed in the systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, resting pulse, lower extremity strength, upper extremity strength, lower extremity flexibility, and balance (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Physical activity counseling and exercise prescription have given primary care doctors showed positive improvements on physical activity level and functional abilities in sedentary elderly.

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