Wellness Programs : Health Promotion Programs and Exercise Plans.

Participatory exercise plans ought to include education on benefits of regular physical activity and risks of a sedentary lifestyle, its impact on cardiovascular health and illnesses, its relationship with weight control and stress management, and aerobic exercise options.

Discussion and practice of safe principles of exercise - warm up, cool down, frequency, intensity, duration, flexibility and strength components.  The health promotion program follows guidelines by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Safety precautions ought to include the following -

• Informed consent before starting exercise with clear and complete written and verbal instructions of possible risk, purpose of exercise, exercise format to be followed, opportunity for questions, and a signed informed consent with date.

• A screening/evaluation of participants to determine if medical analysis is necessary for exercise like the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q, see forms).

• Measurements of blood pressure and resting heart rate are useful screening information to determine exercise readiness.

• Participants who fail screening are medically referred and should obtain a written clearance from their doctor to exercise.    

• The basic content of an group exercise program ought to include -     

Warm up   5 - 10 minutes

Aerobic exercise   20 - 40 minutes

Cool down   5 - 10 minutes

Exercise instructors should have education and training in exercise physiology, physical education, physical therapy or comparable discipline, or possess a current certification by a nationally recognized sports medicine or exercise association, and be CPR qualified.