Reference no: EM133914688

Question

According to Healthy People 2020, over 80% of adults and children do not do enough physical activity. Adults and children need physical activities incorporated into each day. Both should have aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Increasing physical activity helps improve overall health for the population regardless of age and health status (Healthy People, 2020). The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted a lot of the technologies available to assist with increasing physical activity. When looking at the efficacy of mobile applications in incorporating increased exercise and activity, it is important to note that efficacy is increased with long-term use, greater than 6 months with the incorporation of social components (Emberson et al., 2021). Patients have access to numerous technology-based applications such as apple health, Fitbit, Garman, and My Fitness Pal to name a few mobile technologies. The "GoCARB application is an application that uses food detection technology to help the diabetic patient estimate how many carbohydrates are in the meal (Rollo et al., 2016). Providers can connect with patients to track health status via trends from provider visits and even through the increased use of nurse telehealth check-in calls with patients. E-Health has allowed providers to connect with patients to achieve a variety of goals. Using text messages, video, and pictures to name a few electronic methods, e-health has allowed providers to connect with patients (Rollo et al., 2016). This allows the patient to feel connected and supported through the journey of making such lifestyle modifications. There are even video games that encourage and require the use of physical activity to be incorporated into the gameplay, this may have more benefits for the younger population but does offer health benefits when used consistently. As a parent, it is often difficult to encourage teens to increase physical activity, especially during the past year with school and most all activities being remote. Video games that encourage physical activity have been one way to engage my kids with getting up and moving so to speak. Overall, there are a lot of resources available to assist both the provider and patient with exercise and physical activity.