The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) believes that with increasing numbers of people, including patients and clients with diverse varieties of conditions, leading sedentary lifestyles, it is imperative that effective strategies for exercise across the lifespan are implemented.  As experts in movement and exercise, and with a thorough knowledge of pathology and its effects on all systems, physical therapists are the ideal professionals to promote, guide, prescribe and manage exercise activities and efforts.  Exercise promotes well-being and fitness. It is a powerful intervention for strength, power, endurance, flexibility, balance, relaxation, and the remediation of patho-physiology, impairments, and functional limitations.

To promote physical therapists as exercise experts, WCPT will encourage Member Organisations to:

• Assure a comprehensive knowledge base in physical therapist professional education regarding the examination/assessment and intervention/treatment of patients’/clients’ exercise needs across the life span. This will be done through, but not limited to:

• the curriculum content on exercise and physical activity in all physical therapist professional education programmes (see appendix)
• inclusion of the multifaceted nature of the physiological decline that occurs across the age span
• educational materials about the unique opportunities physical therapists have to promote physical well-being for patients/clients
• educational and practice resources about exercise for patients/clients
• exercise programmes for patient/clients at WCPT and Regional conferences
• continuing education programmes on exercise prescription for patients/clients

• Support practice guidelines for safe and effective exercise parameters for patients/clients across the life span including:
• guidelines for safe exercise programmes for patients/clients based, when feasible, on available evidence
• guidelines for screening programmes (eg. community, school, senior citizen programme) for the exercise needs of patients/clients

 

• Enable consistent integration of the best evidence to support exercise across the life span by:

• utilising existing databases and evidence-based literature on exercise for patients/clients
• publicising funding sources for research on exercise programmes for patients/clients

 

• Educate professional communities about the role and benefits of physical therapists as exercise experts for patients/clients across the life span through:

• information in professional publications on exercise for patients/clients
• regional networking groups
• raising awareness within the medical profession of the important role of physical therapists as exercise experts in the provision of exercise programmes for patients/clients
• Information exchange (e.g. web sites, forums) for physical therapist on exercise for patients/clients

 

• Educate consumer communities on the role and benefits of physical therapists as exercise experts for patients/clients across the life span through:

• coordinating communications strategies to inform the public
• providing resource materials (e.g. web sites, brochures, interactive formats) for the public on the role of physical therapists in exercise programmes
• establishing links with related organisations and groups (e.g. World Health Organisation, schools, retired persons groups, osteoporosis groups, diabetes foundations) to cooperate and develop common goals and promote the role of physical therapists as exercise experts for patients/clients

An appendix to WCPT Physical Therapists as Exercise Experts across the Lifespan is available.

Download Position Statement: Physical Therapists as Exercise Experts across the Lifespan (includes appendix to WCPT Physical Therapists as Exercise Experts across the Lifespan

Resource Documents

Australian Physiotherapy Association. (2006) Position Statement: Evidence regarding therapeutic exercise in physiotherapy. APA, Melbourne, Australia.