Section 1: Professional Development and Responsibility

Section 1: Professional Development and Responsibility Chapter 1. The Modern State of Health and Fitness • The focus on scientific principles makes NASM’s systems and methodologies safe and effective for any client working toward any fitness goal. • NASM recommends that all fitness professionals maintain a focus on an evidence-based practice to attain the highest levels of success. • Evidence-based practice is the conscientious use of current best evidence in making decisions about patient or client care. • NASM’s proprietary approach to exercise training, the OPT model, was developed with evidence-based practice as a core guiding philosophy. • Acute disease is any suddenly occurring medical condition that can be treated and healed in a short period of time. • A chronic disease is a medical condition that persists without quickly going away or being cured altogether. • The terms overweight and obesity refer to a body weight that is greater than what is considered normal or healthy for a certain height, specifically due to excess body fat. • Being overweight or obese greatly increase the chances of developing a chronic disease. • Cardiovascular disease is a broad term describing numerous problems of the heart and blood vessels, including stroke, heart attacks, heart failure, heart valve problems, and arrhythmias. • Hypertension is one of the primary risk factors for heart disease and stroke, which are the global leading causes of death. • Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood that is made up of a combination of protein and fatty acids. • Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods we eat. • Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps glucose get into cells to provide the energy for work. • Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells that can result from a wide range of genetic and environmental factors. • COPD is an umbrella term for lung diseases characterized by increased breathlessness, airflow limitation, and accelerated decline of lung function.