Being physically active is one of the most important lifestyle behaviors people can engage in to maintain physical and mental health, well-being, and independence as they age. Regular physical activity is both health-promoting and important for chronic disease and infectious disease treatment and prevention. Regular and consistently performed physical activity provides numerous benefits that contribute to a disability-free lifespan.
On a visit to your healthcare provider he or she may provide you with an Exercise Prescription detailing what level of physical activity you should performing on a regular basis. He or she may refer you to a physical therapist or recommend you to seek a personal trainer to begin a physical activity and exercise program according to the exercise prescription.
If you already seeing a physical therapist, he or she may recommended you to continue with exercise after you have maximized the number of treatment sessions to make sure you maintain function and possibly progress to a higher level of fitness as well as reducing your chances for inactivity-related declines in function.
Our health and fitness professionals are physical activity specialists who can help you the client/patient achieve their physical activity targets in a manner that meets your physical limitations, lifestyle and interests.
Physical Activity Care Planning
Care planning around physical activity follows a 'loop' pattern similar to all clinical care planning:
Your personal trainer or physical therapist can become your Personal Physical Activity Care Provider. The initial assessment determines if there is an issue to be addressed and identifies the client's capabilities and personal tastes to develop a tailored exercise program that works well for the patient's abilities and interests.
If an issue is found, the care provider /personal trainer or health coach works with the c;lient to determine a goal or set of goals to improve the current state of health and fitness and a plan to meet them. Referral to physician or physical therapist may happen during this time for medical conditions that are not controlled or the issue and treatment is outside the scope of practice of the personal trainer/coach. A referral to a physical therapist can help address physical limitations in performing exercise.
The care provider and client then work together to come up with a plan to meet those goals. An exercise training program is developed and includes educating the client how to perform certain types of exercise safely and effectively which is important when exercise will also be performed independently without the supervision of the personal trainer.
From time to time, the care provider and client touch base to evaluate progress and, as necessary, make adjustments to the plan and goals. Care plans are fluid and can change when your wellness goals and health or medical status changes.
This may continue until the initial issue is deemed 'resolved' or until the patient determines they no longer wish to address the issue.
Alternatively, it may continue indefinitely, even when a target state has been reached, just to monitor and ensure ongoing success and maintenance. Ongoing training and/or coaching to help provide motivation, correction and adjustment of exercise plans based on client needs as they age or as health and medical status changes.
Many of our clients continue with personal exercise training or private physical therapy once, twice, three to sometimes five times a week, every other week or once a month indefinitely and many of our clients we have worked with for a decade or more.
To live well and stay well while aging takes planning, let the health and fitness professionals with Fitness & Function take care of your physical activity its care plan.
