New Years Resolutions

With the arrival of a New Year you may be one of the many people who find themselves making resolutions.

Typically, people will make resolutions to stop smoking, lose weight, eat better, or exercise more.
If you have made a resolution that involves increasing your exercise, there are a few things you might want to consider beforehand – to help you hit the ground running (pun intended).

ENJOYMENT

Consider what type of exercise you will enjoy the most. If you have never liked running then it’s probably not your best bet. There are many different methods of exercise available today, including group exercise classes (and you don’t necessarily need to join a gym for this), walking groups, swimming classes, or social sports. The options are endless, you could even get a little creative and try frisbee, or foot-golf.

YOU!

Consider what type of exercise might suit you the best. If you have always had a dodgy shoulder then maybe swimming shouldn’t be your first choice. Past injuries shouldn’t stop you from exercising, this is where a Physiotherapist comes in! We can help you identify which muscles need to be stretched and strengthened, making your transition into exercise a more successful one.

AMOUNT

Managing how much exercise you do in the initial stages may be the most important thing you do. “Start as you mean to go on” isn’t necessarily the be all and end all here.

Consider this: if you walk an average of 3000 steps per day from your normal daily tasks (approximately 2.4-3.0km) and you decide you will walk 10,000 steps per day, then you are asking your body to increase exercise by 333%. Whilst your body might manage this in the first week or two, cracks will begin to appear and you might start to find you have sore knees, hips, back or feet.
Start small, and increase by 10-20% each week, this allows you to form a more sustainable habit and not shock your body in the process.

Typically, I have always found that around February each year my phone is ringing with patients who have injured themselves due to an increase in exercise load. I think everyone should exercise regularly but if you are finding you have aches or pains after a couple of weeks then be sure to get into Fighting Fit Physiotherapy to get checked. Bookings can be made online at www.fightingfitphysio.co.nz, or you can phone us on 022 409 7497.

 

Eleanor Currie
Lead Physiotherapist and Director