A lot of the dialog in the health and fitness industry turns exercise into a chore or punishment and promotes it as merely a weight loss tool. This can create a negative relationship between our minds and movement.
Exercise shouldn’t be a punishment, it should be FUN! Exercise Right Week aims to change the dialog around exercise to shift it from merely a weight loss tool to something that makes you feel good, physically and mentally.
Some key benefits of exercise:
- It keeps your muscles strong
- It keeps your bones strong and reduces the risk of osteoporosis
- It reduces the risk of (and can help manage) osteoarthritis
- It reduces your risk of virtually all chronic health conditions
- It improves symptoms of depression and anxiety
- It improves your cardiorespiratory fitness
- It improves your energy levels
- It reduces your risk of developing 13 types of cancer
- It helps you maintain your independence as you age
- It reduces you risk of falls
- It reduces your risk of Type 2 diabetes
- It can help you manage a range of chronic conditions
- It can help you to manage chronic pain
- And so, SO much more…
Our Accredited Exercise Physiologists Jack & Jacinta spent some time this week asking some of our regulars what they thought about exercise and how it benefits them. Keep up the great work team!
Meet Barry
What exercise is right for you?
Exercise such as swimming, as it has improved the control of my body, my breathing and heart health. It has shown me that I am still capable of doing activities that I complete when I was younger.
Why is exercise important to you?
It helps my body and mind overcome and improve my conditions. It allows me to relax, provides me with motivation and aids on my ability to set goals and progress forward. Although I can’t change my physical conditions, exercise allows me to work with it/ adapt to the conditions I have. Exercise has allowed me to return to driving, develop self-confidence and participate in my activities of daily living.
What does exercise mean to you?
Exercise provides me with a challenge. It gives me something to look forward to and provides me with motivation. Exercise means I can control my body and complete activities that I didn’t know id be able to return to.
What does exercise allow you to do?
Exercises has allowed me to control my health and improve my heart and lung health. Exercises has allowed me to return to driving and rehabilitate my mental and physical health to allow me to take on the challenges that life gives to me.
Meet Roberta
What exercise is right for you?
I go to gym 3 times a week and do a mixture of back, chest and leg sets using resistance machines, free weights, bands and floor exercises. On the other 4 days, my husband and I cycle around Ross River on the foot/bike path. We travel about 17km each day at an average of 18km per hour. Some days I do both forms of exercise.
Why is exercise important to you?
It enhances my mobility and balance; gets me out of the house; gets me up early; gives me a positive mental and physical outlook; and makes me feel proud of what I’m achieving as a 75 year old.
What does exercise mean to you?
Freedom, independence, fellowship, wellbeing, a sense of achievement, mobility, flexibility, strength, improved balance and happiness.
What does allow you to do?
It allows me to do anything I want. I can climb a ladder, ride a bike, walk to the park, get down on my hands and knees and get up again, lay on the floor and get up again. Exercise also allows me to push my gym buddy to do more (she is 30 years my junior) and encourage my husband to get on his bike to join me for regular rides around Ross River.
Meet Jono
Why is exercise important to you?
Exercise is important to me because it helps me maintain a mentally healthy lifestyle just as much of a physically healthy lifestyle. It helps me work towards becoming the person that I really want to be.
What does exercise mean to you?
It means hard work but having fun and developing a good variety of interesting, challenging but enjoyable activities.
What does exercise allow you to do?
Exercise allows me to lead a happier, healthier, and active lifestyle, which helps me achieve my goals. Exercise has given me the confidence to have an active and healthy social life.
What exercise is right for you?
Independent and supervised exercise that focuses on not only increasing my heart rate but adding variety and enjoyment to my life.
Meet Trev
Why is exercise important to you?
It assists in improving my overall health, to aid me in accessing my community.
What does exercise mean to you?
Walk to live. An active lifestyle helps me extend my life expectancy, which means I can spend more time doing the things I enjoy.
What does exercise allow you to do?
It allows me to be more mobile. I can walk up and down stairs in the community, and access places that I couldn’t before.
What exercise is right for you?
I enjoy walking and light resistance training.