Why? What’s the benefit?
Exercise has significant health benefits for our heart, body and mind. We know that exercise can help prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. We know that exercise can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Exercise should be enjoyable and fun, however in Australia less than half of adults get the recommended amount of exercise per day.
How much do I need to do?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for adults aged between 18-64 years, 150 – 300 minutes of moderate intensity (able to keep conversation) exercise per week, or 75 – 150 minutes of vigorous (unable to keep conversation) physical exercise per week. This means at least 30 minutes most, preferably all, days per week. Whilst this is the recommended amount, any exercise is better than nothing. Even doing 10mins per day can add up to changes in the long term. Common activities include walking, running, cycling or swimming.
In combination with aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise ideally we want to incorporate two muscle strength sessions per week. We can do most of these sessions at home and can include movements such as squats, lunges, push ups etc.
I can’t get into a habit / routine?
Getting into exercise, especially after a period of time off, is often difficult. Barriers such as time, motivation, energy and money can be some of the challenges.
The 5 W’s of getting active:
Who: Who are you exercising with? Do you have a friend who you enjoy exercising with? Do you prefer team sports? Or are you more about the solitude of exercising alone?
What: What do you like doing? Are you interested in the gym? Running? Or Yoga?
When: When is going to work best for you? Do you prefer the morning, afternoon or evening? Try to stick to the same time each day to keep a regular routine.
Where: Do you prefer exercising indoors or outdoors? Examples such as bush walking, swimming at the beach or workouts at the gym.
Why: Why is exercising important to you? What’s your motivation? Longevity? Improving health and fitness? Able to play with the kids? Complete a marathon?
Essentially we are all unique and individual so finding what’s going to work best. Writing down the answer to each of your 5W answers and giving that to someone close to you to keep you accountable could be a good starting point.
How do you know if you’re doing too much?
At the opposite end of the spectrum we can sometimes push our body too much and thus often feel tired, sore or irritable.
Whilst it is important to move and do this regularly we don’t want to cause further damage. If you’re recognizing that you can’t perform at the same level, getting repetitive overuse injuries or feeling fatigued which is not matched to the tasks you’re doing. Having a discussion with a health practitioner or coach is important to get a plan on how to exercise for the long term.
Our approach to exercise and conditioning
Our aim is to help you enjoy and engage in exercise regularly. We want the exercise to be at your level to get the benefits of movement whilst motivating you to do it for the long term.
STEP 1: Let’s have a chat and talk about your goals and the activities you enjoy
STEP 2: Make a plan which is specific to you
STEP 3: We will follow up with you to see how you’re going and whether we need to progress or regress exercises to suit your fitness level
