Patients on the Move!

Abstract

Recently, the Surgeon General put out a Call to Action “To Promote Walking and Walkable Communities.” Walking is a powerful health promotion activity that nurse practitioners (NPs) can quickly prescribe as part of a management plan for the vast majority of their patients. NPs are key health care professionals in the promotion of walking and other physical activity for their patients across the life span. NPs should be familiar with physical activity recommendations for all of their patients, including patients with disabilities. NPs need to be able to assess physical activity as well as prescribe individualized physical activity plans.