Effects of exercise on the physical fitness level of adults with intellectual disability: a systematic review.

CONCLUSIONS: There is sufficient scientific evidence for the beneficial effects of exercise on the cardiovascular and muscular fitness of adults with mild/moderate ID. There is a need for more studies focused on the impact of physical exercise on the body composition of this population, and those that aim at identifying the impact of alternative interventions. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION There is a need for basic guidelines that can help rehabilitation professionals to prescribe exercise for maintaining and improving physical fitness in the adults with intellectual disabilities. In adults with intellectual disabilities, aerobic exercise has beneficial effects on cardiovascular and muscular fitness, flexibility, and range of motion. No firm conclusion can be made regarding the effects of aerobic, muscular, and combined training programs on the body composition of adults with intellectual disabilities. Rehabilitation professionals should be aware that scientific evidence regarding the prescription of alternative exercise protocols in adults with intellectual disabilities (i.e. dancing, water-based exercise, animal therapy, etc) is scarce. PMID: 30301367 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Disability and Rehabilitation - Category: Rehabilitation Authors: Tags: Disabil Rehabil Source Type: research