2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

KNS 431 Exercise Management in Chronic Disease

This course focuses on the care and treatment of clients with chronic disease and/or disability and provides students with knowledge for designing appropriate exercise prescriptions that can positively affect functional capacity and/or slow or prevent exercise intolerance. Students will learn how to develop appropriate exercise prescriptions for clients with chronic diseases including hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, low back pain, fibromyalgia, cancer, osteoporosis, and more. 

Credits

3

Prerequisites

KNS 402 or KNS 403; KNS 410

Offered

Fall

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Gain insight into the clinical side of Exercise Physiology with an introduction to Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and how exercise is adapted for clients with acute and/or chronic conditions.
  2. Explain the application of behavioral approaches to Physical Activity Promotion.
  3. Describe the general principles of Pharmacology for commonly used medications and their effect on exercise.
  4. Become familiar with the name and mechanism of action commonly used medications for common chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease.
  5. Practice and apply general interview and examination skills to prepare students for clinical settings and improve interaction with clients/patients.
  6. Apply knowledge of exercise testing and exercise prescription to development of exercise programs for clients with chronic disease.
  7. Define each of the following conditions and describe the scope, pathophysiology, clinical considerations for clients with common chronic diseases including, but not limited to: cardiovascular disease, metabolic / endocrinology disorders, respiratory conditions, cancer, select orthopedic and neuromuscular disorders and special populations.