Prescribed Fitness® Exercise Programs For Chronic Diseases

 

While patients with different chronic diseases share deficits in functionality, these shared disabilities are often more prevalent and more pronounced in some disorders than in others. Additionally, many chronic diseases are associated with specific disabilities that, in themselves, impose potentially catastrophic consequences.  Unaddressed, all of them are likely to become progressively worse with advancing age.

 

By considering the pathophysiology and symptomatology of each chronic condition, Prescribed Fitness™ programs that are disease-specific exercise routines have been developed by Nifty after Fifty (NaF). These programs are designed to improve the patient’s overall fitness and remedially address those functional impairments peculiar to the member/patient and their chronic condition. Within the framework of each Prescribed Fitness™ program, individual customization of each patient’s exercise program is further tailored by a complete fitness evaluation. This fitness evaluation serves to quantify the patient’s overall fitness level; and equally important, to identify their specific areas of de-fitness.

 

The goals of the special Nifty after Fifty’s Prescribed Fitness™ programs are to prolong independence, increase Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), and improve the quality of life of each of the participants. It is further believed that a reduction in falls, fractures, and a reduction in healthcare costs from virtually all causes will result. Additionally, these special NaF programs will continue to evolve and be further improved based on new developments in the field of medical-fitness-science.

 

While Prescribed Fitness™ programs for virtually every chronic disease are under development, presently these programs are available for the following conditions:

 

• Chronic Low Back Pain

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

• Diabetes Mellitus

• End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)

• Hypertension

• Osteoarthritis

• Peripheral Artery Disease

• Chronic Venous Insufficiency

 

To the extent possible, increasing the intensity of these exercise routines at appropriate intervals is an important feature in achieving the aforementioned goals. As such, clinical supervision and monitoring of each participant’s progress is essential. To that end, Nifty after Fifty has designed and incorporated those appropriate monitoring protocols that it considers relevant to each of its Prescribed Fitness™ programs.

 

We look forward to providing a healthier, more active, and more enjoyable future for all of our clients.

Sheldon S. Zinberg, MD, Chairman and President, Nifty After Fifty