Objectives. - The present study focused on the impact of the French legislative decree on the physical activity (PA) prescription on the promoting PA during the doctor's consultation and the perceived criteria such limiting factors of the PA prescription for a liberal practitioners' population (MD). Methods. - This exploratory qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews in a sample of MD practiced their liberal activity in the Picard territory of the region Hauts-de-France. Results. - Interviews were carried out with 14 voluntary MD. All MD interviewed were limited to giving oral PA advice as secondary and as tertiary preventions. Therefore, the PA promotion remained often superficial and rushed. Although they believed in the health benefits of regular PA, all practitioners found that the medical consultation is too short and their scientific knowledge on the PA was insufficient to correctly promote an adapted PA. No consensus was found among respondents as to the legislative decree effect on promoting PA due to the gap of information and support assistance. Conclusions. - There seems to be no generally agreed upon the French legislative decree on the physical activity prescription. Perceived major barriers relating to the regular PA promotion, supplied on prescription or under oral advice, showed the weakness of promoting health policy by regular physical activity. (C) 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.