The development of evidence-informed physical activity guidelines for adults with spinal cord injury

• Published in: Spinal cord Vol. 49; no. 11; pp. 1088 - 1096
• Main Authors: Ginis, K A Martin, Hicks, A L, Latimer, A E, Warburton, D E R, Bourne, C, Ditor, D S, Goodwin, D L, Hayes, K C, McCartney, N, McIlraith, A, Pomerleau, P, Smith, K, Stone, J A, Wolfe, D L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.11.2011; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/378/1687/1825; 692/700/1538; Adult; Anatomy; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cerebrospinal fluid. Meninges. Spinal cord; Evidence-Based Medicine - standards; Human Physiology; Humans; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Medical sciences; Motor Activity; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurochemistry; Neurology; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; Practice Guidelines as Topic - standards; review; Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Injuries - rehabilitation; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; strength training; clinical practice guidelines; exercise; aerobic training; spinal cord injuries; Physical exercise; Nervous system diseases; Vertebral canal; Spinal cord trauma; Central nervous system disease; Spinal cord disease; Strength
• ISSN: 1362-4393; 1476-5624
• DOI: 10.1038/sc.2011.63

Objectives: To systematically develop evidence-informed physical activity guidelines to improve physical fitness in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: This study was conducted in Canada Methods: The Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation II guideline development protocol was used to develop exercise guidelines to improve physical capacity and muscular strength. The evidence base for the guideline development process consisted of a systematic review and quality appraisal of research examining the effects of exercise on physical fitness among people with SCI. A multidisciplinary expert panel deliberated the evidence and generated the guidelines. Pilot testing led to refinement of the wording and presentation of the guidelines. Results: The expert panel generated the following guidelines: for important fitness benefits, adults with a SCI should engage in (a) at least 20 min of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic activity two times per week and (b) strength training exercises two times per week, consisting of three sets of 8–10 repetitions of each exercise for each major muscle group. Conclusion: People with SCI, clinicians, researchers and fitness programmers are encouraged to adopt these rigorously developed guidelines.