Pathophysiology AND Exercise

According to recent statistics, fewer than twenty-three percent of Americans are presently meeting the minimum guidelines for physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions reports that nearly half of adults in the United States have stage 1 hypertension or are taking medication for hypertension. Obesity rates continue to increase at alarming rates. Hypokinetic disease puts a tremendous stress on the United States health care system. Exercise (along with healthy lifestyle choices like a balanced diet and the absence of smoking) is one thing that one can do to minimize the risk of disease and promote longevity. In the fields of exercise science (and the medical professions that hopefully have a solid foundation in exercise physiology and the role of exercise in disease prevention and treatment), we often encounter individuals (sedentary to elite athlete, with varying levels of physical activity) who are injured, sick, or otherwise physically impaired. It is essential for the exercise specialist to have a foundational understanding of common medical conditions both to aid in the exercise prescription and to permit the exercise specialist to adequately communicate with the patient/client and to act as a liaison and advocate with the doctor. As such, an understanding of pathophysiology and exercise is pertinent. As the American College of Sports Medicine promotes, "Exercise is MedicineÒ." While some exercise science students will go on to become physicians, physician assistants, physical or occupational therapists, or other health care professionals, many will work with clients in clinical, as well as general fitness, settings who have medical issues that may be affected by exercise. While it may not be the role of the exercise professional to diagnose disease, it behooves one to understand how disease is diagnosed. Moreover, it is important to understand the etiology, pathogenesis, and prognosis of disease—and the role that exercise plays in these. This text is intended to familiarize the professional with common conditions that might appear on the medical history. Knowledge of the relative terminology and a basic understanding of the pathology will help the professional ask the right questions of the client, to communicate with the physician, and refine the exercise prescription. For the health care professional, a better understanding of exercise will empower them to address disease from a preventative position.