By Michael Hombsch, Physiotherapist
Choosing a Physical Activity That’s Right for You
Exercise Options are Endless in Melbourne
We all know how important it is to lead a healthy lifestyle. Eating nutritious food and undertaking regular physical activity, go a long way to guaranteeing a long and happy life.
If you’ve recently decided to increase the level of physical activity in your lifestyle, the smartest move is choosing the programme or activity that’s appropriate and just right for you. When it comes to doing this, a lot of factors have to be considered.
One key factor that should be emphasised is that you should find something that you actually enjoy and that you want to do on a regular basis. Furthermore, it should be something that isn’t too hard to do.
Professional Advice from a Doctor or Physio in Essendon & BLACKBURN
Prior to getting started with a new physical regime, we recommend setting an appointment with your doctor or local physiotherapist.
A credible doctor or sports physio in Melbourne can provide you with advice, support, and a comprehensive medical check-up before you start any new physical activity program.
This is a critical step that you should not oversee, particularly if you’re aged 40+, you are overweight, you are suffering from a chronic medical condition, or you have not exercised for a long time.
The pre-exercise screening or assessment with your physio is important as it helps identify medical and health conditions that may put you at risk of experiencing pain, discomfort or injury, whilst undergoing physical activities, particularly new activities that your body will be exposed to.
This will serve as a safety net or a filter in helping your doctor decide whether or not the physical activities you choose have benefits that outweigh the risks that they pose for you.
In identifying the physical activity that’s right for you, it’s important to consider some issues.
First off, you should be able to determine whether or not you would feel motivated doing the physical exercises alone or whether you would find it more enjoyable if you had a training buddy to do the activities with.
Furthermore, figure out whether or not your schedule will allow you to go to the local gym or if you would prefer to have your exercise regimen based within the comfort of your bedroom or home.
You may also opt to join team sports and other local group physical activity programmes that you can enjoy doing with friends, neighbours or new people.
These organised activities also give you the chance to widen your social circle and a chance to widen your network. Another option that you may want to consider could be mixing up the various options mentioned like doing some exercise alone for a couple of days during the week, while participating in team sports on the weekend.
The next step is to decide on the physical activity(s) that you’ll focus on. It should be noted that while any type of physical activity can be good for you, they will all have varying results. Setting your health goals will help you decide on the right intensity and a physical activity that’s good for you. To help you decide, consider the advantages and disadvantages of the available options.
As a weight-bearing activity, cycling helps burn extra calories while at the same time improves your cardiovascular health. Plus it can become your means of transport for an everyday commute meaning you won’t need to schedule time in for exercise.
It however should be noted that a high-quality bicycle can be quite a steep cost. The same issues are connected with opting to get a gym membership. While the gym provides an extensive range of equipment and facilities that will help provide a range of physical activities for you, regular memberships at quality gyms are often expensive.
Running is another weight-bearing activity that helps to build strong bones and one of the easiest to improve cardiovascular health. Other than getting yourself a good pair of running shoes, the only issue that comes with the activity is the risk of injuries that can be caused with the heavy load on muscles, joints and ligaments.
As a low-impact activity, swimming helps exercise the entire body, particularly the arms, chest, and back. It’s a popular form of physical exercise for many and is applicable to do for those who are obese, elderly, and frail. It’s also beneficial for people with knee or shoulder injuries and can complement a shoulder physiotherapy program.
As a non-weight-bearing activity however, swimming will not help burn as many calories as running nor will it help strengthen your bones.
There’s a whole lot more of physical activities that you can choose from to incorporate into your day-to-day living, but it’s important to know that getting regular physiotherapy treatments at a credible physio clinic in Melbourne can support this activity and help improve your wellbeing.
To help you out, we've shared access to our online exercise library. This is only a snippet of exercises that we can guide you through, on the path to better health.
How do i find a good Physiotherapist Near Me?
For more details on how choosing the right physical activity can considerably help you improve your health, contact Melbourne Sports Physio and set an appointment to discuss in detail your needs with our expert physio team.
Book an appointment today. We can help you via our Blackburn or Essendon clinics.
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