Physical Therapists as Exercise Experts acrss the Life Span The Wrld Cnfederatin fr Physical Therapy (WCPT) believes that with increasing numbers f peple, including patients and clients with diverse varieties f cnditins, leading sedentary lifestyles, it is imperative that effective strategies fr exercise acrss the lifespan are implemented. As experts in mvement and exercise, and with a thrugh knwledge f pathlgy and its effects n all systems, physical therapists are the ideal prfessinals t prmte, guide, prescribe and manage exercise activities and effrts. Exercise prmtes wellbeing and fitness. It is a pwerful interventin fr strength, pwer, endurance, flexibility, balance, relaxatin, and the remediatin f path-physilgy, impairments, and functinal limitatins. T prmte physical therapists as exercise experts, WCPT will encurage Member Organisatins t: Assure a cmprehensive knwledge base in physical therapist prfessinal educatin regarding the examinatin/assessment and interventin/treatment f patients /clients exercise needs acrss the life span. This will be dne thrugh, but nt limited t: the curriculum cntent n exercise and physical activity in all physical therapist prfessinal educatin prgrammes (see appendix) inclusin f the multifaceted nature f the physilgical decline that ccurs acrss the age span educatinal materials abut the unique pprtunities physical therapists have t prmte physical well-being fr educatinal and practice resurces abut exercise fr exercise prgrammes fr patient/clients at WCPT and Reginal cnferences cntinuing educatin prgrammes n exercise prescriptin fr
Supprt practice guidelines fr safe and effective exercise parameters fr acrss the life span including: guidelines fr safe exercise prgrammes fr based, when feasible, n available evidence guidelines fr screening prgrammes (eg. cmmunity, schl, senir citizen prgramme) fr the exercise needs f Enable cnsistent integratin f the best evidence t supprt exercise acrss the life span by: utilising existing databases and evidence-based literature n exercise fr publicising funding surces fr research n exercise prgrammes fr Educate prfessinal cmmunities abut the rle and benefits f physical therapists as exercise experts fr acrss the life span thrugh: infrmatin in prfessinal publicatins n exercise fr reginal netwrking grups raising awareness within the medical prfessin f the imprtant rle f physical therapists as exercise experts in the prvisin f exercise prgrammes fr Infrmatin exchange (e.g. web sites, frums) fr physical therapist n exercise fr Educate cnsumer cmmunities n the rle and benefits f physical therapists as exercise experts fr acrss the life span thrugh: crdinating cmmunicatins strategies t infrm the public prviding resurce materials (e.g. web sites, brchures, interactive frmats) fr the public n the rle f physical therapists in exercise prgrammes establishing links with related rganisatins and grups (e.g. Wrld Health Organisatin, schls, retired persns grups, steprsis grups, diabetes fundatins) t cperate and develp cmmn gals and prmte the rle f physical therapists as exercise experts fr Page 2 f 6
Date adpted: Apprved at the 16 th General Meeting f WCPT June 2007. Date fr review: 2011 Declaratin f Principle: Primary health care Related WCPT Plicies: Declaratin f Principle: Educatin Psitin Statement: Guidelines fr physical therapist prfessinal entry-level educatin Cpyright Wrld Cnfederatin fr Physical Therapy 2007 Page 3 f 6
Appendix t: WCPT Psitin Statement Physical Therapists as Exercise Experts acrss the Life Span Suggested Curricular Cntent 1. Anatmical and physilgical changes in the musculskeletal systems acrss the life span 2. Anatmical and physilgical changes in the neurmuscular system acrss the life span 3. Anatmical and physilgical changes in the cardivascular and pulmnary systems acrss the life span 4. Anatmical and physilgical changes in the integumentary, genit-urinary, endcrine, gastrintestinal, and immune systems acrss the life span 5. Respnses and adaptatins f the musculskeletal system t exercise acrss the life span 6. Respnses and adaptatins f the neurmuscular system t exercise acrss the life span 7. Respnses and adaptatins f the cardivascular/pulmnary systems t exercise acrss the life span 8. Respnses and adaptatins f the integumentary, genit-urinary, endcrine, gastrintestinal, and immune systems t exercise acrss the life span 9. Bimechanics f exercise 10. Eating disrders, malnutritin, and besity 11. Principles f examinatin/assessment (tests and measures) fr exercise abilities and requirements fr patient/clients 12. Administratin f tests and measures, scring, and interpretatin f results fr 13. Exercise techniques a. Aerbic/anaerbic exercises b. Aerbic classes (lw impact, high impact, dance, step) c. Strength/pwer training exercises i. Active (cncentric, eccentric, ismetric, iskinetic, pen chain, clsed chain, prpriceptive neurmuscular facilitatin) ii. Resistive iii. Plymetric iv. Cre/pstural stabilizatin exercises v. SAID principle (Specific Adaptatin t Impsed Demands) d. Pstural exercises e. Flexibility exercises (elastic stretch, plastic stretch, static, ballistic, cybernetic stretch, prpriceptive neurmuscular facilitatin) f. Balance/vestibular exercises g. Crdinatin, speed, and agility exercises Page 4 f 6
h. Breathing exercises i. Relaxatin exercises j. Aquatic exercise prgrams k. Cmplementary exercises (Tai Chi, Yga, Pilates, Feldenkrais, Alexander) 14. Exercise prescriptin a. Warm-up/cl dwn b. Intensity c. Frequency d. Duratin e. Mde f. Specificity 15. Adapting exercises fr individuals with cmmunicatin impairments a. Cgnitin impairments b. Hearing impairments c. Physical impairments d. Visual impairments 16. Strategies fr the delivery f effective grup exercise prgrammes 17. Exercise equipment a. Free weights b. Weight training machines c. Weighted bars d. Elastic bands e. Elastic tubes f. Stability balls g. Medicine balls h. Balance systems/trainers i. Rllers j. Slide bards k. Tramplines l. Pulleys m. Bdy blades n. Treadmills. Bicycles p. Elliptical machines q. Steppers and climbers r. Skiers s. Upper extremity ergmeters t. Rwers u. Jump rpes v. Aquatic equipment glves, dumbbells, weights, bts, ndles w. Mats Page 5 f 6
x. Music tape, CD, micrphne 18. Training prgrammes a. Peridisatin f training b. Threshld walk/runs c. Peaking threshld walk/runs d. Interval training e. Circuit training f. Crss training g. Specificity f training 19. Mtivatinal factrs invlved in exercise prgrammes fr 20. Factrs affecting adherence and cmpliance t exercise prgramme fr 21. Understand effective exercise teaching techniques fr individual and grup exercise prgrammes fr 22. Metablic specificity f exercise fr 23. Nutritinal factrs in exercise perfrmance 24. Preventin exercise prgrammes (muscle lss, steprsis, falls. etc) 25. Psychlgy f exercise perfrmance 26. Assessment f the frmat and effectiveness f established cmmunity-based exercise prgrams (eg, Y prgrams, Pilates, Gyrtnics, Yga) 27. Facility management a. Layuts b. Access c. Flring d. Envirnmental factrs e. Electrical cnsideratins f. Mirrrs g. Equipment h. Maintenance and cleaning i. Scheduling j. Persnnel k. Marketing l. Budgeting m. Risk management waiver f liability, infrmed cnsent Resurce Dcuments Australian Physitherapy Assciatin. (2006) Psitin Statement: Evidence regarding therapeutic exercise in physitherapy. APA, Melburne, Australia. [http://apa.advsl.cm.au/physi_and_health/media/dwnlad/2006/evidenceregardingtherapeuticexerc iseinphysitherapy.pdf] Page 6 f 6