Increasing Wellness Through Physical Activity in Children With Chronic Disease and Disability

Abstract

Children with chronic medical conditions face many challenges when considering sport participation. Compared with their healthy counterparts, they are often discouraged from physical activity or sports participation because of real or perceived limitations imposed by their condition. Prescribed exercise should be based on the demands of the sport, the effect of the disease on performance, and the potential for exercise-induced acute or chronic worsening of the illness or disability. This article will focus on several examples of chronic medical conditions and the clinician's role in providing advice about sport participation.