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OBJECTIVES: To assess the long‐term effectiveness of a telephone counseling intervention on physical activity and health‐related quality of life in low‐active older adults recruited through their primary care physician.

DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial.

SETTING: Three primary care practices from different socioeconomic regions of Auckland, New Zealand.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and eighty‐six low‐active adults (aged 65) recruited from their primary care physicians' patient databases.

INTERVENTION: Eight telephone counseling sessions over 12 weeks based on increasing physical activity. Control patients received usual care.

MEASUREMENTS: Change in physical activity (as measured using the Auckland Heart Study Physical Activity Questionnaire) and quality of life (as measured using the Short Form‐36 Health Survey (SF‐36)) over a 12‐month period.

RESULTS: Moderate leisure physical …