The importance of physical activity and health for physical therapy

Abstract

Background: The aims of physical therapy are to develop, maintain, and restore optimal movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan for individuals and populations. Physical activity is a key concept within physical therapy.

Objectives: To describe concepts of importance, dose–response relationship between physical activity and health, the scientific background for health-enhancing recommendations, and the measurements for assessing physical activity.

Major findings: There is strong evidence for an inverse and curve–linear relationship between physical activity dose, all-cause mortality and chronic disease prevention. The effects of physical activity for disease treatment are also clear. Nonetheless, there is a scarcity of studies determining the dose–response relationship between physical activity and health in relation to disease. Physical activity recommendations are based on current knowledge regarding the dose–response relationship between physical activity and health and are set at an approximate 30% risk reduction for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. In order to recommend an optimal physical activity dose, evaluate interventions as well as establish the prevalence of physical activity in the population, it is necessary that physical activity is measured in a reliable and valid way.

Conclusions: People with chronic disease or functional limitations are at great risk of being insufficiently active and are therefore in need of physical therapy interventions and support to enhance or maintain their physical activity level. The health benefits of increasing physical activity level among the physically inactive or those active at a very low level are potentially greater than those achieved by increasing activity level among already active individuals.

Keywords:

• Chronic disease
• Dose–response
• Exercise
• Health
• Physical therapy
• Sedentary