Exercise as medicine
It is well known how sedentary, sitting on our bottoms all day we are getting. Most occupations these days require us to sit all day, with minimal movement. If you assess your day, it is surprising how much we truly sit….for example, a typical day most of us will sit throughout most activities of day; toilet, breakfast, transport to work, desk, lunchroom, desk, transport home, dinner, couch and then bedtime.
Getting out and moving your body so you are slightly puffed, for 30+ minutes a day, is far more benefical than metformin or any antidepressant. Speak to your health professional about the health benefits of exercise and how it can help you. I DO NOT advise stopping medication but to add physical movement into your day as added benefit.
How much exercise do I need:
30 minutes a day of moderate exercise so you are slightly puffed. This doesn’t mean you need to go to the gym. The 30minutes can accumulate throughout the day. Incidental exercise is what you do during your day that is exercise which contributes to your 30minutes a day. This might be house work, walking to the mailbox and so on. The type of activity and intensity of exercise varies per person and your abilities. The younger and more able you are, the more you should do. We will all be elderly one day, so don’t be sedentary until you have to. Even when walking becomes a challenge, exercise is always possible. Seated weights, swimming in a pool, lying on the floor with an exercise band and so on. There is always a way to incorporate exercise into your day.
Ways to add physical movement & activity into your day:
Park further away
Get off the bus 2 stops too early
Vigorous housework
Walk to go buy lunch
Join a gym
Play a sport
Meet a friend for a walk instead of in a cafe
Get outside & actively join in with your kids
Join a mums and bubs local class
How to stick to it:
Write down your goals
Do it with a friend
Start small and slowly build your duration, frequency, intensity and so on
How can I help:
We can make a plan of what exercise suits you, how to ease into it and slowly increase it. I want to work with you to discuss what exercise we can make suit your life, that you will enjoy and get the most benefit from. An elderly patient might be going for 2x short walks around the block or even just to mailbox, gardening or getting in the local pool. A young adult might benefit more from gym classes or team sports. A middle aged patient might enjoy more cycling or time with family. It is about getting physical activity into your day and avoiding being sedentary. We can work on any areas of pain so it doesn’t hold you back.
If you have a medical condition exercise is almost always still an option. It might be running but you can always do some form of exercise and physical activity. Don’t let your condition own you, take responsibility of your health. Physical movement is a form of medicine.