Physical activity for the chronically ill and disabled

Exercise prescription principles for persons without chronic disease and/or disability are based on well developed scientific information. While then are varied objectives for being physically active, including enhancing phys ical fitness, promoting health by reducing the risk for chronic disease and ensuring safety during exercise participation, the essence of the exercise prescription is based on individual interests. health needs and clinical s tatus, and therefore the aforementioned goals do not always carry equal wei ght. In the same manner, the principles of exercise prescription for person s with chronic disease and/or disability should place more emphasis on the patient's clinical status and, as a result, the exercise mode, intensity, f requency and duration are usually modified according to their clinical cond ition. Presently. these exercise prescription principles have been scientif ically defined for clients with coronary heart disease. However, other dise ases and/or disabilities have been studied less (e.g. renal failure, cancer , chronic fatigue syndrome, cerebral palsy). This article reviews these iss ues with specific reference to persons with chronic diseases and disabiliti es.