Exercise in the Community

Jacey KrautActivity & Exercise are Therapy

Central to health and well-being is an active lifestyle.

An active lifestyle benefits the mind, body and soul. Evidence demonstrates regardless of whether you have arthritis, diabetes, a neurological condition such as stroke, dementia, depression and many other health conditions, activity and exercise improve quality of life.

Being active means different things to different people. For some, walking the dog each morning keeps them healthy or regular time spent in the garden, while for others an intensive weight training session at the gym or swimming at the pool work for them.

There are many reasons why people with health conditions may not participate in regular activity or exercise. Some people may have always led a sedentary lifestyle, while others may be keen to return to some sort of exercise but are not sure where to start. Transitions Physiotherapy can help you consider what type of activity/exercise is right for you and how to get started.

Is it safe for me to exercise? The best place to start is with a visit to your doctor. A current medical check up will provide the confidence and guidelines you need to develop a plan towards regular exercise with the assistance of Transitions Physiotherapy.

How often do I need to exercise for it to be worthwhile? Current guidelines recommend 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day which can be completed all at once or in 5-10 minute blocks spread out across the day. If you are only just starting to include exercise in your everyday you may have to build up in increments. Transitions Physiotherapy can provide education and support in this process.

What type of exercise should I do? Any activity or exercise that appeals to you. All activity brings benefits. Choose something you are going to enjoy, either because you can do it with a friend or you like how it feels or you know it’s going to help you.

How can Transitions Physiotherapy help? Transitions Physiotherapy can help you identify what exercise/activity is right for you and how you can participate in that activity. This may mean regaining strength, control, mobility or balance through one-to-one physiotherapy sessions prior to returning to previous activity. It could also mean exploring exercise/activity options in your nearby community and assisting your transition from one-to-one therapy to community-based options at your local recreation centre for example.