Physical Activity in Rehabilitation and Recovery

Increasing physical activity at a population level is an important public health priority. Exercise is increasingly recognised as an essential lifestyle behaviour in maintaining health, preventing disease and rehabilitating a broad range of conditions. This book compiles research evidence and clinical perspectives on the benefits and pitfalls of exercise in rehabilitation and recovery from illness or injury. The content focuses on the growing and important concept of increasing physical activity in people with long-term health conditions, maintaining active lifestyles for physical health and wellbeing, prevention of secondary illness and recovery from injury. In an eclectic collection of chapters, readers are provided with an outline of population trends in physical activity, presenting the international focus on increasing population-level physical activity through a range of approaches. The importance of physical activity for those with 'chronic' health conditions is discussed using examples from UK strategy for the management of long-term conditions. Several chapters present the nature and outcomes of exercise prescription and consider the implications of exercise promotion or intervention in musculoskeletal disorders (e.g. chronic back pain, arthritis), neurological conditions (e.g. stroke, TIA, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury), cardiorespiratory illnesses (e.g. coronary heart disease, heart failure) and other common health conditions (e.g. COPD, cancer, obesity and diabetes). Both the physical and psychological outcomes of exercise are considered and several clinical case studies are presented. The implications of exercise in mental health are discussed (e.g. in the treatment of depression) and the relevance of cognitive representations of illness and coping strategies in rehabilitation are discussed in relation to musculoskeletal injury. Motivational factors and barriers to exercise in rehabilitation are discussed in the context of exercise programme design. A range of common outcome measures used for the psychological evaluation of exercise interventions are reviewed. The evidence relating to physical activity for occupational rehabilitation and work capability of absent employees is also presented together with organizational case studies. Chapters are compiled by academics and health professionals providing a combination of theory, current research evidence, and examples from practice.