Our bodies are made with activity in mind. We have been engineered specifically for movement with more than 250 joints and over 600 muscles. This complex musculoskeletal system functions best with regular exercise which also results in positive effects for many other systems within the body.
Starting to exercise could however be a daunting task because we assume that it needs to be fast enough or hard enough to be effective. But there are only 2 elements to really concern yourself with when starting out:
- Find a light exercise that you enjoy enough to persist with
- Exercise regularly (x3-5 per week) for 10-30 minutes per day
Your aim should be to slowly build that up (at the pace that your body enjoys) to a total of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. What is moderate you ask? Easy! You should at all times have enough breath to talk, but not enough to sing.
The typical drivers for someone to become active often include weight loss (or gain) but this can be a frustrating process where results are often slow, so it’s very easy to lose motivation because of that. When we look at the other benefits of exercise, it’s easier to see some results early on and that starts fueling the initial drivers, whatever they may have been.
Exercise (simple 30-minute walks on 5 days of the week) has shown results in drastically improving the following:
- Sleep duration
- Sleep quality
- Mood
- Mental alertness
- Mental health (including a delayed onset/slowed progression of Alzheimers)
- Depression
- Maintenance of blood sugar levels
- Weight control
- Heart health
- Skeletal muscle strength
- Joint health (Cartilage and joint fluid)
- Bone density
- Reduced risk of falling
- Reduced risk of various cancers and improved coping
Considering the above, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain from slowly getting into regular exercise and experiencing exactly how mere movement leads to health.
Your health and physical wellbeing should be a priority deserving of quality care. Make sure to discuss any concerns you may have directly with your preferred physiotherapist, so that you can receive the appropriate guidance for your unique situation.