Exercise Prescription

Exercise:
- Definition: A subcategory of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and purposive, occurring during leisure time with the aim of improving or maintaining one or more components of physical fitness.
Physical Activity:
- Definition: Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure.
Sports:
- Definition: Any physical activity performed by teams or individuals, supported by an institutional framework and conducted within a set of rules.
Comparative Health:
- Importance of comparing health benefits and risks of exercise, physical activity, and sports.

Sedentary Behaviour:
- Description: Waking behaviour with energy expenditure less than 1.5 MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) – 1 MET refers to the energy used when sitting at rest.
Physical Inactivity:
- Definition: Insufficient physical activity to meet current recommendations.
Moderate Intensity Physical Activity:
- Definition: Activities that range from 5-6 MET.

Statistics:
- 4th leading risk factor for mortality.
- Approximately 1/3 of individuals are insufficiently active.
Associated Risks:
- Increased risk of:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Some cancers

Age Group 5-17:
- Recommended daily physical activity duration?
- Health outcomes related to activity levels?
Adults:
- Association of higher sedentary behaviour with health outcomes?
- Definition of 'older' adults according to guidelines?
- Importance of strength training in older adults?
- Reference: WHO guidelines available on Canvas.

General Recommendations:
- All older adults should engage in regular physical activity.
Moderate-Intensity Activity:
- At least 150 to 300 minutes per week.
Vigorous-Intensity Activity:
- At least 75 to 150 minutes per week.
Combination:
- An equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities recommended for substantial health benefits.

For further health gains:
- More than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week is advised.
Muscle-Strengthening Activities:
- Should involve all major groups, done on 2 or more days per week.
Balance and Strength Training:
- Recommended on 3 or more days per week.

Associated with negative health outcomes, including:
- All-cause mortality
- Cardiovascular disease mortality
- Cancer mortality
- Incidence rates of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.

Benefits of Physical Activity:
- Enhances health outcomes for various conditions such as cancer, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and HIV.

General: All adults with chronic conditions should engage in regular physical activity.
Moderate-Intensity Activity:
- 150 to 300 minutes per week.
Vigorous-Intensity Activity:
- 75 to 150 minutes per week.
Muscle-Strengthening Activities:
- Conducted on 2 or more days per week.
Increased Activities:
- Consider increasing activity beyond these recommendations for additional benefits.

Adults with chronic conditions should limit sedentary behaviours and aim to substitute these times with any intensity of physical activity, including light intensity.

Average Physical Activity:
- At least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity, mostly aerobic.
Muscle and Bone Strengthening Activities:
- Should be included on 3 days a week.

Key Focus: Proper management of load is crucial in exercise prescription to avoid injuries.

Overload: Gradually increase the load.
- Example: Increase length, weights, or changing exercises.
Specificity:
- Exercises should be targeted to improve specific skills or components.
Variety:
- Helps prevent boredom and overuse injuries.
Reversibility:
- Gains are lost if activity ceases.
Individualized: Training should be tailored to individual goals and capacities.

Definition: $ext{ACWR} = rac{ ext{Acute Workload}}{ ext{Chronic Workload}}$
Example:
- Acute Workload (Week 5): 500 units of training load
- Chronic Workload (Weeks 1-4): 400 units (averaged).
Interpretation of ACWR:
- < 0.8: May indicate undertraining
- 0.8 to 1.3: Optimal training load
- > 1.5: High risk of injury (overtraining)

Stage 1 - Tissue Healing:
- Focus on controlling inflammation through muscle contractions and range of motion exercises (PROM, AROM).
Stage 2 - Mobility:
- Mobility restrictions may necessitate individualized approaches based on patient needs.
Stage 3 - Performance Initiation:
- Daily exercises should consist of high repetitions with low weight to maintain aerobic energy supply.
Stage 4 - Performance Improvement:
- Accurate management is needed according to specific functional tasks and personal factors.
Stage 5 - Advanced Coordination:
- Emphasizes plyometric exercises that combine strength and speed for injury prevention.

Reps & Sets: Define based on patient assessment.
Intensity, Tempo, Rest: Detailed consideration based on recovery and individual capacity.
Volume & Frequency: Tailored according to the recovery phase.

Importance of a tailored exercise prescription that considers both quantity and quality of movement to optimize health and facilitate recovery.
References: WHO guidelines for physical activity and sedentary behaviour, ACSM guidelines for cardiorespiratory training, and other pertinent practice resources.