HEALTH, FITNESS AND WELLNESS

Health is a state of mental, physical and social behavior of a person. Fitness is the state of being
physically fit and healthy. Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making
choices towards more successful existence.

ADULTHOOD
The period in the human lifespan in which full physical and intellectual maturity have been
attained. It suggests both physical maturation and psychosocial transition, from dependent on
others to becoming more self-reliant and responsible for personal behavior.
Adulthood is commonly thought of as beginning at age 20 to 25 years.

UNIQUE CHALLENGES DURING ADULTHOOD

The key challenge of early childhood includes
 Separating from the parents.
 Making choices in relationships.
 Value for money and supportive community
 Achieving goals in education, career, community and parenthood.
 Individuals with low socioeconomic status often must leave school to begin work, they
marry and become more responsible than the other ones who have more financial
resources.
 These responsibilities can cause additional stress to the individuals having lower financial
statuses.
  Also, relationships with close friends serve as buffer against stress or stress related issues.
 More than 70% of stress related issues are reported in adults.
 Divorced adults often face greater loneliness than married individuals. In addition to
losing a spouse, they also lose many of their social contacts such as in-laws, married
friends, and neighbors. Divorced men experience early health problems to a much greater
extent than the married ones. These problems may include cardiovascular diseases,
hypertension etc.
 In 2011 research showed divorce rate was about 3.6 per 1000 total population.
 The suicide rate for divorced men is four times larger than other married couples.

Physical therapists can help adult clients reach their full potential by providing needed resources
for physical and mental health by education, fitness programs and referrals to psychologists and
other related workers.

ADULT HEALTH AND WELLNESS RISKS

Adults face health risks that affect all major body systems, including integumentary,
cardiovascular, neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. There are high risks of developing
 Obesity
 Cancer
 Diabetes
 Chronic pain
 Substance abuse
 Gastrointestinal problems
 Headaches
 Sleep disorders
 Infections

OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair
health.
Health risks associated with obesity include
  premature death
 type 2 diabetes
 hypertension
 coronary artery disease
 stroke
 certain type of cancer gastroesophageal reflux disease
 gallstones and gall bladder disease
 gout pregnancy complications
 menstrual irregularities
 bladder control problems
 osteoarthritis
 infertility and psychological disorders such as depression, eating disorders, problems with
body image and low self esteem

Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years
and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese. 39% of adults aged 18 years
and over were overweight in 2016, and 13% were obese.
Most of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people
than underweight.
40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2018. Over 340 million
children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016.
Obesity is preventable by proper guiding and proper way of diet with exercise on multiple times
of daily routine.

CANCER OR UNCONTROLLED CELLULAR PROLIFERATION:

All individuals should be encouraged to perform self-examination including skin cancer and
breast cancer and have appropriate diagnostic testing to screen for cancers that affect specific
populations, such as cervical cancer in adult women and prostate cancer in adult men.
Health care professionals should be on alert for common symptoms that are associated with
cancer, including a change in usual bowel habits, stools that are narrower than usual, blood in or
on the stool, general stomach discomfort such as bloating, fullness, cramps, feeling of
incomplete bowel emptying, weight loss with no known reason and constant fatigue.

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) have serious and sometimes fetal complications. Sexually
active teens and young adults are at higher risk, but STDs can affect all age groups. Those who
are at increased risk of infection include the following
 People who have had multiple sex partners, especially those who have exchanged sex for
money or drugs.
 Males who have sex with males.
 Injection drug users and their sex partners.
 Individuals with exposure to HIV or AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis and genital herpes
Health care professionals can help educate the public about the risks of HIV infection. Health
care professionals need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of HIV.
Approximately 40 million people are currently living with HIV infection and an estimated 25
million died from this disease.

HEALTH RISKS FOR ADULT MALES

Men die at higher rates than woman by the top 10 diseases. These diseases include heart disease,
stroke, cancer, depression, anxiety, diabetes etc.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is the greatest health threat to men in the world today. According to the American
Heart Association, men have a greater risk of heart diseases and have heart attacks much earlier
in life than women.
Every man needs to take this disease seriously and understand that this number one killer can
often be prevented. Physical and Mental health problems can arise with the increasing family and
work responsibilities that adult men face.
Stroke
Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States and third leading cause of death for Men.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability as well.
Risk factors for stroke includes
 increasing age
 sex (more common in men of 70 years old)
 race
 diabetes
 heart disease
 cholesterol
 smoking habits
 physical inactivity

SCREENING TOOLS FOR ADULTHOOD

Screening is used to look for the disease before you have any symptoms or signs. The overall
goals of screening are to:

 Lower the number of people who die from the disease, or eliminate deaths from that
disease altogether
 Lower the number of people who develop the disease

A screening tools are used by professionals like lab technicians, teachers, trained professionals
and medical professionals.

Prostate cancer screening test

The PSA test is a blood test that measures the amount of a protein secreted by the prostate gland
and is used to screen for possible prostate cancer. According to the American Cancer society
both the PSA blood test and digital rectal examination should be offered annually. Screening for
prostate cancer is done to find evidence of cancer in otherwise healthy men.

The symptoms and signs of prostate cancer may include:

 Frequent urination
 Weak or interrupted urine flow or the need to strain to empty the bladder
 The urge to urinate frequently at night
 Blood in the urine
 Blood in the seminal fluid
 New onset of erectile dysfunction
 Pain or burning during urination, which is much less common
 Discomfort or pain when sitting, caused by an enlarged prostate

Two tests are commonly used to screen for prostate cancer:

Biomarker test

A biomarker is a substance that is found in the blood, urine, or body tissues of a person with
cancer. It is made by the tumor or by the body in response to the cancer. A biomarker may
also be called a tumor marker. Biomarker tests for prostate cancer include the 4Kscore,
which predicts the chances someone will develop high-risk prostate cancer, and the Prostate
Health Index (PHI), which predicts the chances someone will develop prostate cancer.

PSA blood test

The PSA test is useful for detecting early-stage prostate cancer, especially in men with many
risk factors. And it finds conditions that are not cancer and these conditions are not life
threatening.

Testicular examination
Most often, testicular cancer can be found at an early stage. Many men find the cancer
themselves while performing a self-examination. Or a man's sexual partner may notice a change
that leads to a diagnosis. Some doctors recommend that men ages 15 to 55 perform a monthly
self-examination to find any changes.

Dental checkup
Teeth grinding can be caused by stress and anxiety, it often occurs during sleep and is more
likely caused by an abnormal bite or missing or crooked teeth. It can also be caused by
a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea.
Regular dental examination should be encouraged to monitor the teeth, gums, lips and soft
tissues.

Screening Guidelines for Men and Women:

In addition to performing a standard screening of adult patients, health care professionals need to
remind adults of medical screening tests that are important for early detection of other common
pathologies.

Electrocardiogram
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a test that checks how your heart is functioning by
measuring the electrical activity of the heart. With each heartbeat, an electrical impulse (or wave)
travels through your heart. This wave causes the muscle to squeeze and pump blood from the
heart.
Blood Cholesterol
The level of blood cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart disease.
A lipid panel is a blood test that measures lipids —fats and fatty substances used as a source of
energy by your body. Lipids include cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL),
and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

Chest Radiographs
Chest Radiograph is a projection radiograph of the chest used to diagnose conditions affecting
the chest, its contents, and nearby structures. Chest radiographs are the most common film taken
in medicine.
Like all methods of radiography, chest radiography employs ionizing radiation in the form of X-
rays to generate images of the chest.
The mean radiation dose to an adult from a chest radiograph is around 0.02 mSv (2 mrem) for a
front view (PA, or posteroanterior) and 0.08 mSv (8 mrem) for a side view (LL, or latero-lateral).
Together, this corresponds to a background radiation equivalent time of about 10 days.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Test

TSH should be between 0.4 and 4.0 mIU/L. This test is used to detect too little or too much
thyroxine.
This blood test identifies levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), a pituitary gland hormone
used to produce the hormone thyroxine.

Blood Chemistry Test

Blood chemistry tests are blood tests that measure amounts of certain chemicals in a sample of
blood. They show how well certain organs are working and can help find abnormalities. Blood
chemistry tests may also be called chemistry panels. There are many types of blood chemistry
tests.
Protein, serum Total – 6.0-7.8 g/dL
Albumin - 3.5-5.5 g/dL, Globulins - 2.5-3.5 g/dL
Creatinine, serum — 0.7-1.3 mg/dL
Sodium — 136-145 mg/L, Potassium — 3.5-5.0 mg/L
Chloride — 98-106 mg/L, Bicarbonate — 23-28 mg/L
Fibrinogen, plasma — 150-350 mg/dL
Glucose, plasma — Fasting, 70-100 mg/dL
Alkaline phosphatase – 36-92 U/L
Aminotransferase, alanine — 0-35 U/L
Aminotransferase, aspartate — 0-35 U/L
Bilirubin Total — 0.3-1.2 mg/dL
Magnesium, serum — 1.5-2.4 mg/dL
Phosphatase, alkaline, serum — 36-92 U/L
Transferrin Saturation Test
Transferrin saturation, measured as a percentage, is a medical laboratory value.
It is the value of serum iron divided by the total iron-binding capacity of the available transferrin,
the main protein that binds iron in the blood, this value tells a clinician how much serum iron is
bound.
Normal ranges are

 Serum iron: 60–170 μg/dL

 Total iron-binding capacity: 240–450 μg/dL

Urinalysis
A urinalysis is a test of your urine. A urinalysis is used to detect and manage a wide range of
disorders, such as
 urinary tract infections
 kidney disease
 diabetes
A urinalysis involves checking the appearance, concentration and content of urine.

ADULT EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

Health care providers must provide, education that identifies risk factors for poor health in adults
and discuss effective strategies that can positively affect the well-being of both that individual
and the community.
 Self-responsibility in managing lifestyle behaviors
 Optimizing wellness through healthy habits
 Team approach to health education
 Social support
In adults, following parameters must be taken carefully and physical therapists and other health
professionals must show them right way of living.

Oral Health
Oral health is essential during adulthood. Healthy dentition is critical for eating a variety of
textured foods and for the pronunciation of certain words. All clients should be counselled to
stop the use of tobacco and to limit consumption of alcohol to reduce the risk of oral cancer.

Health care professionals should be aware of the following potential indications of the disease.

 Sore in the mouth that doesn't heal.

 Lump or thickening in the cheek.
 White or Red patch on the gums, tongue, lining of the mouth.
 Soreness or a feeling that something is caught in the throat.
 Difficulty in chewing.
 Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue.
 Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.
 Swelling of the jaw, causing dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable.

Fitness activities
Physical activity is any form of exercise or movement of the body that uses energy. It includes
cardiovascular functioning, which is improved by aerobic activities that get your heart and lungs
working faster. It also includes muscle strength, flexibility, and balance. You don't need to get
fancy, expensive equipment to improve your fitness.

Individuals at risk for exercise are those with unstable medical conditions.
Individuals with moderate risk for exercise are of 45 years, women of 55 years or older and
individuals of either sex with 2 or more risk factors for coronary artery disease.
Individuals at low risk include men younger than 45 years and women younger than 55 and
individuals with no more than one risk factors for cardiovascular diseases
Some of your daily life activities
 doing active chores around the house, yard work,

 walking the dog

Activities performed Calories burned in half hour

Weight Lifting: general 90

Aerobics: water 120

Stretching 120

Calisthenics: moderate 135

Riders: general 150

Aerobics: low impact 165

Stair Step Machine: general 180

Teaching aerobics 180

Weight Lifting: vigorous 180

Aerobics, Step: low impact 210

Aerobics: high impact 210

Bicycling, Stationary: moderate 210

Rowing, Stationary: moderate 210

Safety issues for adults

Most sports injuries occur due to the following:

 Lack of education and awareness about safety precautions and potential injury
 Inappropriate or lack of equipment
 Poorly conditioned players

These are general safety precautions to help prevent sports injuries:

 Wear the right safety gear and equipment.

 Make sure the playing environment is well lit and appropriate for the sport in question.
 Enforce safety rules.
 Stay hydrated during and after sports.
 Take breaks while training and during games to prevent overuse injuries.