Design and manage an exercise and physical activity programme for clients with medical conditions

URN: SKAEAF18
Business Sectors (Suites): Exercise and fitness
Developed by: SkillsActive
Approved on: 30 Mar 2021

Overview

​This standard is about the design and management of exercise and physical activity programmes to address the needs of participants with various medical conditions. This is likely to follow on from the initial consultation and information gathering. 

Exercise and fitness professionals will be expected to design an exercise and physical activity programme that meets the clients needs, objectives and agreed goals. They will also review and adapt the exercise and physical activity programme at agreed times.

 They will normally be working without direct supervision but could be under the direction of a physiotherapist, Medical Officer or GP.


Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. design an exercise and physical activity programme that is appropriate to the clients' needs, conditions, goals and level of fitness

  2. ensure appropriate components of fitness and principles of training are applied

  3. select suitable environments that align with clients preference and ability to perform exercises safely

4. agree the demands and content of the exercise and physical activity programme with the client

  1. plan a progressive timetable of sessions with clients

6. agree appropriate evaluation methods and review dates with the clients and others

  1. identify the resources *and technologies *needed to support the effectiveness of the exercise and physical activity programme

  2. provide alternatives that can be incorporated into everyday lifestyles if clients cannot take part in programmed exercise and or physical activities

  3. record your plans in an accessible format that will help you, the clients and others implement the programme

10. support clients in a way which will promote sustained change in physical activity behaviour

  1. review **clients progress at agreed points throughout the exercise and physical activity programme

  2. encourage **clients to give their own views on progress and overall satisfaction

  3. use agreed methods of evaluation

  4. evaluate clients performance by providing feedback during the review

  5. agree review outcomes with clients and identify those goals that need to be redefined

  6. keep a record of the programme review

  7. identify programme variables that need to be adapted

  8. agree programme adaptations with clients and others to optimise their achievement

19. identify and agree any changes to the programme resources

  1. record programme adaptations using appropriate and accessible formats

  2. monitor the effectiveness of programme adaptations

22. provide ongoing reports to others


Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. the current legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols which are relevant to your work practice and to which you must adhere

  2. the principles of anatomy and physiology including skeletal, cardiovascular, myofascial, nervous, endocrine, energy and digestive system.

  3. how to apply anatomy and physiology when planning and delivering exercise and physical activity programmes for clients with specified medical conditions

  4. the components of health and skill related fitness and how to apply these into an exercise and physical activity programmes for clients with specified medical conditions

  5. the scope and professional boundaries of your practice

  6. the relationship between exercise, physical activity and specified  medical conditions

  7. the components of fitness and principles of training and how they must be applied to help clients achieve their goals

  8. how to select suitable environments and how they can be adapted to meet the clients needs, ability level an overall goals

  9. why you need to agree programme content with clients prior to the commencement of the programme

  10. how to design a progressive timetable of sessions with clients

11. the significance of establishing regular review dates and evaluation methods with the clients and others

  1. the adaptations and or alternatives that can be made If the clients cannot take part in the session and or activity as planned

  2. recording procedures that will help you, clients and others to implement the programme

14. methods of effectively supporting clients in a way that will promote sustained change in physical activity behaviour

  1. how to monitor and review clients progress

  2. why it is important to encourage clients to give their views on progress and overall satisfaction with the exercise and physical activity programme and service

  3. available evaluation methods that will support the clients review

18. the skills involved in providing positive and timely feedback to clients

  1. why it is important to agree reviewed outcomes with clients

20. why and how to adapt exercise and physical activity programmes and variables

  1. the significance of agreeing programme adaptations with clients and others

  2. when to make changes required to the programme resources

  3. when and how to record programme adaptations using appropriate and accessible formats

  4. the significance of monitoring the effectiveness of programme adaptations


Scope/range


Scope Performance

Principles of training

1. specificity

  1. overload

  2. recovery

  3. adaptation

  4. reversibility

Methods

  1. pre-exercise screening/risk stratification tools

  2. reports

  3. interviews

  4. questionnaire

  5. observations

  6. physical assessments

  7. risk assessments

  8. outcome measurements

  9. on-going research


Scope Knowledge


Values


Behaviours


Skills


Glossary


Links To Other NOS

​This standard links to SKAEAF17, SKAEAF19 and SKAEAF20 


External Links


Version Number

3

Indicative Review Date

31 Mar 2024

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

SkillsActive

Original URN

SKAEF23

Relevant Occupations

Coach / Instructor, Sport, Leisure and Recreation, Sports and Fitness Occupations

SOC Code

3433

Keywords

design; manage; medical conditions; programmes; exercise; physical activity