Prescribing Medically Appropriate Exercise
Assignment D3:
Therapeutic Fitness Training Guidelines
Therapeutic Fitness Training Guidelines
Instructions:
Get familiar with the Therapeutic Fitness Training Guidelines and complete the quiz below.
Get familiar with the Therapeutic Fitness Training Guidelines and complete the quiz below.
Therapeutic Fitness Training (TFT) is personalized for each participant. As a Sports Med-Tech Assistant, you will be working closely with a Sports Medicine Technician in developing and coaching personal TFT Programs for a wide variety of clients. This assignment serves only as an introduction to programming for TFT. Learning the many nuances and keeping abreast of scientific advances is a full-time, life-long endeavor.
As with the Exercise Rx, medically appropriate Therapeutic Fitness Training is based on the participant's medical-fitness test scores. Use the chart below as an example of a TFT Program that follows the guidelines set forth by the American Association of Sports Medicine Technicians (AASMT).
As with the Exercise Rx, medically appropriate Therapeutic Fitness Training is based on the participant's medical-fitness test scores. Use the chart below as an example of a TFT Program that follows the guidelines set forth by the American Association of Sports Medicine Technicians (AASMT).
For clients who have already progressed through their personalized Walk/Jog Therapeutic Fitness Training Program and who are now ready to add body-weight movements to their exercise dosage regimen, the following principles are applied:
- A CPV Fitness Score of at least 1 is recommended before adding body-weight movements.
- Body movements are mixed and separated in order to not overload any muscle group during a particular session.
- At low dosage levels, all muscular groups should be exercised every day.
- Specific muscular fitness scores of 0 or 1 can be prescribed as 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 doses for that muscle group.
- Prescribed full doses can be broken into 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 partial doses with an increase in daily sessions to complete the dose.
- Additional Walk/Jog doses can be substituted for body-weight exercises that are contra-indicated.
- Progression in a personal TFT Program is based on the participant's follow-up medical-fitness test results.
- New body-movements are gradually increased from 1 to 2 to 3 doses per day at 4-12 week intervals.
- Follow-up medical-fitness tests are recommended every 4-12 weeks depending on health status and fitness goals.
- A lack of improvement in fitness test scores is due to non-compliance with the TFT Program (unless proven otherwise).
- Responsibility for TFT non-compliance is shared between the participant and the Sports Medicine Technician prescribing it.
- Participants should engage in enjoyable outdoor recreational activities on their "day-off" from their formal TFT Program.
- A medical-fitness score of 19 (95%) or 20 (100%) qualifies the participant for graduation from their TFT Program, which means they are capable of working-out independently -- on their own, at a gym, or with a personal trainer -- for more advanced fitness training using a greater variety of exercises and other physical activities.
Basic TFT Program
QUIZ D3