Physical activity as a remedy for healthy lifestyles
Physical activity is an essential component in the lives of any given individual in ensuring that people maintain healthy lifestyles. It helps prevent disorders arising from sedentary lifestyles such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. It is therefore important that a nurse takes the best approach in planning for a program that increases physical activity. The program manager should start the exercise by outlining the target population and their characteristics (Eldredge et al, 2016). According to the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (2010), a program manager can apply the getting to outcomes strategy (GTO) in the planning process to ensure that activities with the greatest degree of efficacy and impact are embraced in the program. The first five steps in the process include needs and resources, goals, best practice, fit and capacity identification.
First and foremost, the program manager should identify the needs of the given group of adults and the resources available. He or she should evaluate what the community needs and the surrounding condition of the community (National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools, 2010). The manager should then set the goals which outline the desired outcomes that could meet the needs of the individuals while changing the underlying conditions. The step involves identifying the objectives that should be met with the whole program.
The next step involves identifying the best practice. The program manager sets out to highlight the models and best practice programs that he or she can use to achieve the goal. There is an emphasis on evidence-based practice at this step as the manager seeks to adopt strategies which have been tested and found effective (National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools 2010). The program manager should determine the actions which fit the context of the community upon the identification of the best practices. Actions selected should fit the context of the community in question at their point of need. Lastly, the program manager should determine the organizational capacities required for the program implementation. The organization should be capable of executing the plan in terms of both material and human resources.
References
Eldredge, L. K. B., Markham, C. M., Kok, G., Ruiter, R. A., & Parcel, G. S. (2016). Planning health promotion programs: an intervention mapping approach. John Wiley & Sons.
National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (2010). Program planning, implementation and evaluation tools. Hamilton, ON: McMaster University. (Updated 29 April, 2011) Retrieved from http://www.nccmt.ca/resources/search/71.
