Activity and Exercise
Objectives
Understand the role of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems in the regulation
of activity and exercise.
Understand the importance of exercise and activity for maintaining and
promoting health.
Apply nursing care interventions to prevent deconditioning in hospitalized
inpatients.
Describe the rationale for the use of safe patient handling techniques when
transferring and assisting patients with ambulation.
Identify interventions designed to improve an individual’s activity tolerance.
Discuss the importance of minimal or no-lift policies for patients and providers.
Describe nurses’ responsibility in assisting patients to ambulate safely.
Physical Activity
Elevates mood and attitude.
Enables physical fitness.
Helps one to quit smoking and stay tobacco-free.
Boosts energy levels.
Helps in the management of stress.
Promotes a better quality of sleep.
Improves self-image and self-confidence.
Deconditioning
o Patient on bedrest at risk for deconditioning
o Body adjusts to the conditioning of not moving
Muscles stop working the same way
o Physical changes resulting from a lack of activity
o Nurses encourage patient to get up, walk around, move
Health care patients stay active and healthy
o Avoid back injuries
o 76% of HC workers end up with a back injury
Scientific Knowledge Base
Nature of movement
o Body mechanics
Complex process that requires coordination from CNS and
musculoskeletal system
Alignment and balance
o Body alignment
Positioning of joints, tendons, ligaments while standing, sitting, and
lying
Gravity and friction
, o Unsteady patients fall if their center of gravity becomes unbalanced
o Friction is a force that occurs in a direction to oppose movement
o Weight is the force exerted on the body by gravity
Always directed downward
Peoples center of gravity 55-57% of standing height and in the mid-line
o Ask patient to do more
Regulation of movement
Skeletal system
o Joints
o Ligaments, tendons, and cartilage
Skeletal muscle
o Muscles concerned with movement
o Muscles concerned with posture
o Cells have ability to be excited or stimulated and thus can respond to
regulatory mechanisms
o Contraction of skeletal muscles allows us to move, talk, breath, walk,
function
Nervous system
o Proprioception
Sense of self-movement and body position
o Balance and alignment
Activity and Exercise
Physical activity (PA) is any movement produced by skeletal muscles that results
in energy expenditure.
Physical exercise is a subset of PA that is planned, structured, and repetitive and
has a final or an intermediate objective, such as the improvement or maintenance
of physical fitness.
Active lifestyle
Resistive isometric exercise
Pathological Influences on body alignment, mobility, and activity
Using the principles of balance and alignment aids in safe patient transfer and
positioning during routine care activities
Congenital defects
Disorders of bones, joints, and muscles
Central nervous system damage
Musculoskeletal trauma
Obesity
SPHM
Objectives
Understand the role of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems in the regulation
of activity and exercise.
Understand the importance of exercise and activity for maintaining and
promoting health.
Apply nursing care interventions to prevent deconditioning in hospitalized
inpatients.
Describe the rationale for the use of safe patient handling techniques when
transferring and assisting patients with ambulation.
Identify interventions designed to improve an individual’s activity tolerance.
Discuss the importance of minimal or no-lift policies for patients and providers.
Describe nurses’ responsibility in assisting patients to ambulate safely.
Physical Activity
Elevates mood and attitude.
Enables physical fitness.
Helps one to quit smoking and stay tobacco-free.
Boosts energy levels.
Helps in the management of stress.
Promotes a better quality of sleep.
Improves self-image and self-confidence.
Deconditioning
o Patient on bedrest at risk for deconditioning
o Body adjusts to the conditioning of not moving
Muscles stop working the same way
o Physical changes resulting from a lack of activity
o Nurses encourage patient to get up, walk around, move
Health care patients stay active and healthy
o Avoid back injuries
o 76% of HC workers end up with a back injury
Scientific Knowledge Base
Nature of movement
o Body mechanics
Complex process that requires coordination from CNS and
musculoskeletal system
Alignment and balance
o Body alignment
Positioning of joints, tendons, ligaments while standing, sitting, and
lying
Gravity and friction
, o Unsteady patients fall if their center of gravity becomes unbalanced
o Friction is a force that occurs in a direction to oppose movement
o Weight is the force exerted on the body by gravity
Always directed downward
Peoples center of gravity 55-57% of standing height and in the mid-line
o Ask patient to do more
Regulation of movement
Skeletal system
o Joints
o Ligaments, tendons, and cartilage
Skeletal muscle
o Muscles concerned with movement
o Muscles concerned with posture
o Cells have ability to be excited or stimulated and thus can respond to
regulatory mechanisms
o Contraction of skeletal muscles allows us to move, talk, breath, walk,
function
Nervous system
o Proprioception
Sense of self-movement and body position
o Balance and alignment
Activity and Exercise
Physical activity (PA) is any movement produced by skeletal muscles that results
in energy expenditure.
Physical exercise is a subset of PA that is planned, structured, and repetitive and
has a final or an intermediate objective, such as the improvement or maintenance
of physical fitness.
Active lifestyle
Resistive isometric exercise
Pathological Influences on body alignment, mobility, and activity
Using the principles of balance and alignment aids in safe patient transfer and
positioning during routine care activities
Congenital defects
Disorders of bones, joints, and muscles
Central nervous system damage
Musculoskeletal trauma
Obesity
SPHM
