| Course | EF310 Applied Exercise Science for Healthy Aging and Special Conditions |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 5 |
| Paper type | Chronic condition case study |
| Length | About 720 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for EF310 Unit 5
Two Bus Routes and a Breakfast Pill: A Unit 5 Chronic Condition Case Study of Type 2 Diabetes With Neuropathy
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
EF310: Applied Exercise Science for Healthy Aging and Special Conditions
Unit 5 Chronic Condition Case Study
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The client, his schedule and his readings are composite; the diabetes position statement, the guidelines text and the position stand cited are real.
The Client
A sixty-one-year-old school bus driver with type 2 diabetes for twelve years. Most recent A1c 7.9 percent. Reduced sensation in both feet to the ankles on monofilament testing, with no foot ulcers. Blood pressure controlled. Cleared by his physician for exercise, with a note to avoid long walks on hard surfaces until his feet are checked by a podiatrist. He drives a morning route from 6 to 8 and an afternoon route from 2 to 4, and rests at home between them.
The Disease and Exercise
In type 2 diabetes, muscle and liver respond poorly to insulin, so glucose stays high after meals. A bout of exercise helps because working muscle takes up glucose through a pathway that does not depend on insulin, and the effect lasts for hours afterward. Regular training also improves insulin sensitivity over weeks (Colberg et al., 2016). Both aerobic and resistance training lower A1c, and combining them works better than either alone.
Medications and What They Mean for Exercise
Metformin. Purpose: lowers glucose production by the liver. Exercise effect: does not cause low blood sugar on its own. Session plan: no change.
Glipizide, taken with breakfast. Purpose: makes the pancreas release more insulin, whether or not glucose is high. Exercise effect: can cause low blood sugar during or after exercise, especially when a meal is small or late. Session plan: check glucose before each session; if it is below about 90, eat 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrate first and recheck; carry glucose tablets.
Basal insulin, taken at bedtime. Purpose: covers glucose overnight and between meals. Exercise effect: adds to the risk of lows, especially after evening exercise. Session plan: schedule sessions in the late morning, not the evening.
Because glipizide and his bedtime insulin both lower glucose regardless of his level, exercise adds a third glucose-lowering force, and the plan's first job is to make sure those three do not peak together before he drives a bus full of children.
When to Exercise
Sessions at about 10 a.m., after breakfast and the morning route, give him four hours before the afternoon route. He checks glucose before and after the session, and again before driving at 2 p.m. If the pre-drive reading is low, he eats and rechecks before starting the route, following his employer's rules for drivers with diabetes.
Feet
Reduced sensation means he may not feel a blister forming. The position statement advises daily foot inspection and proper footwear for people with neuropathy, and notes that moderate weight-bearing exercise can be done safely by those without active ulcers, with care (Colberg et al., 2016). Until his podiatrist visit, he cycles on a stationary bike and walks in the pool rather than on pavement. He checks both feet after every session, wears moisture-wicking socks and well-fitted shoes, and reports any red spot or blister the same day.
The Program
Aerobic: stationary cycling or pool walking, 30 minutes, moderate effort, four days a week. After podiatrist clearance, add flat walking on a track.
Resistance: two days a week, machines and bands, eight exercises for major muscle groups, 10 to 15 repetitions, two sets, moderate effort.
Flexibility and balance: ten minutes on resistance days; balance work matters because reduced foot sensation impairs his sense of where his feet are.
Monitoring and Progression
Glucose before and after each session, logged with food and timing. Progress aerobic time by five minutes every two weeks to 45 minutes. Reassess A1c with his physician at three months. If lows occur, discuss with his physician whether the glipizide dose should change rather than reducing exercise (American College of Sports Medicine, 2021).
Expected Outcomes
A drop in A1c over three to six months, better leg strength for climbing in and out of the bus, and no foot injuries. The position stand on older adults supports this combination for people with chronic conditions in his age range (Chodzko-Zajko et al., 2009).
References
American College of Sports Medicine. (2021). ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Chodzko-Zajko, W. J., Proctor, D. N., Fiatarone Singh, M. A., Minson, C. T., Nigg, C. R., Salem, G. J., & Skinner, J. S. (2009). Exercise and physical activity for older adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(7), 1510-1530. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181a0c95c
Colberg, S. R., Sigal, R. J., Yardley, J. E., Riddell, M. C., Dunstan, D. W., Dempsey, P. C., Horton, E. S., Castorino, K., & Tate, D. F. (2016). Physical activity/exercise and diabetes: A position statement of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care, 39(11), 2065-2079. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc16-1728
Reading the EF 310 Unit 5 instructions
In Unit 5, students write up one client living with a chronic condition, explaining the disease process, how medications affect the exercise response and how the program is adjusted. These studies are several pages long. Graders expect an accurate account of the condition, each medication's relevance to exercise, a program fitted to the client's actual daily life, safety measures tied to specific risks, and monitoring. Many sections reward attention to complications, such as neuropathy, and to timing decisions. Cite a condition-specific position statement and the guidelines text. Keep the pathophysiology brief and focused on what it means for programming, not a full textbook review.
How the EF 310 Unit 5 example is put together
The study introduces the client, his A1c, foot sensation and the two daily routes. A section explains insulin resistance and why exercise lowers glucose, citing a diabetes position statement. A medication section takes each drug in turn with its purpose, its effect during exercise and what the session plan does about it; the highlighted sentence links the glucose-lowering effects to his job. A timing section places sessions between routes with checks before driving. A feet section covers inspection, footwear and non-weight-bearing options. The program section gives aerobic, resistance, flexibility and balance work, followed by monitoring, progression and a note on discussing medication changes with his physician.
EF310 Unit 5 rubric: what earns full points
Chronic condition case studies are commonly marked on accuracy of the disease and medication content, the fit between program and client, safety planning, monitoring and use of sources. Fit and safety planning usually carry the largest share, since a technically correct program that ignores the client's medications or schedule can put him at risk. Accuracy rewards correct mechanisms and drug effects. Monitoring earns points for specific measures, such as glucose before and after sessions. Sources should include a current position statement for the condition. Organization that moves from mechanism to medications to program helps a grader follow the reasoning from start to finish. A schedule that shows when each medication acts and when sessions fall makes the safety reasoning visible at a glance.
EF310 Unit 5 help: mistakes that cost points
The usual weak point is a medication table that lists drugs without saying what each means for exercise. Another is scheduling sessions without regard to when glucose-lowering drugs peak or when the client must drive or work. Some studies ignore neuropathy and prescribe long walks on pavement. Others recite pathophysiology at length and leave little room for the program. Advising clients to change their medication doses oversteps the role; that belongs to the physician. If your client has a different condition, perhaps heart failure or kidney disease, share the medications and daily routine, and the program can be built outward from them. A study that never mentions what to do if glucose runs low during a session leaves the most likely problem unplanned.
Get an EF310 Unit 5 example written to your instructions
Which disease, and which drugs, does the Unit 5 case turn on? Forward it whole, lab values included, with the rubric. Every programming decision will point back to the pathology or a specific drug, personal clinical targets stay with the care team, and gaps in the record are flagged. Turnaround is 24-48h; a first sample is free. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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EF310 Unit 5 questions, answered
How deep should the pathophysiology go?
Enough to explain the programming, and not much more. A trainer-level account of the mechanism, such as why muscle contraction moves glucose into cells without insulin, supports the decisions that follow. Pages of cellular detail with no link to the program add length without earning marks. A useful test is whether each paragraph of pathology is referred to later by a programming choice.
What about a drug the course text never covers?
Look it up in a drug reference and record the class, the purpose and any effect on exercise response, such as heart rate, blood pressure, glucose or fluid balance. Then say what the program does about it. If a drug has no meaningful exercise effect, say that too. Naming the class is often more useful than naming the brand, since effects follow the class.
Can the case study set blood glucose targets for exercise?
It can cite the thresholds the course text or a guideline gives for starting or delaying a session, with the source named. Personal targets belong to the client's care team, and strong case studies say so, leaving room for those figures. Setting individual targets on the trainer's own authority is usually marked as a scope error in this course.
Where can I find a free EF310 Unit 5 sample paper?
The whole Unit 5 case study is on this page, building a program for a bus driver with type 2 diabetes, neuropathy and three medications.
Why does a sulfonylurea matter for exercise?
It makes the pancreas release insulin regardless of glucose level, so exercise can push glucose too low unless the session is timed and monitored.