We all know that moving our body is important to our overall health, but there are many different ways to achieve movement. How do we know what is best for us?
Activities of Daily Living (ADL's)
This term defines a list of essential everyday basic tasks that require us to move our bodies. They are usually measured functionally, based on the ability to complete them properly and efficiently. Some examples of this include walking, eating, getting dressed, being able to use the bathroom and complete personal hygiene, as well as transferring from one position to another (ex. laying down to seated or seated to standing). All of these movements are very important and we need to continue building the strength and proper body structure to complete these. For the most part, as we age, it becomes more difficult to complete certain ADL's. This is where other forms of movement come into affect, in order for us to maintain the proper posture and form for these daily tasks and to avoid injury or disease.
Exercise
This type of movement is defined as purposeful body activities that enhance and maintain physical fitness levels. Some might also use the term "working out" which most of the time speaks to the purposeful act of exercising our bodies. Many people have goals of improving their physical fitness with their exercise routine. Whether that be strength training and conditioning, training for a cycling or running marathon, swimming competition or even body building. The type of exercise that you engage in should be targeted towards your goals and support you with achieving them. A plan or routine is crucial when it comes to exercise because it needs to take into account other lifestyle factors, such as previous injuries and diagnoses, targeted muscle groups and rest days. It also needs to include a baseline or starting point of the four types of exercise: strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. Once we know where we currently are and where we want to be with our exercise goals, we can follow a plan of action on how to achieve them.
What Is Right For Me?
This is a question that I am asked frequently by my patients. Many of them come in with an unrealistic exercise plan that they cannot seem to follow. For the most part, this is because it is not the right exercise routine for them specifically. We all require an individualized movement routine that focuses on our personal needs and takes into account any restrictions that we have. A great start is to simply just move more and in ways that we usually do not on a daily basis. I also love encouraging patients to try different types of exercise, finding some that they enjoy and changing it up to challenge our body in new ways. Reminder that any exercise that is new and has large risk associated with it should be supervised by a professional!
Exercise should be enjoyable, energizing and allow you to build confidence in your body's abilities. Maintaining healthy bone structure and muscle mass should be your main focus when it comes to exercise. Once you have this foundation, you can start adding in other goals such as building muscle, loosing fat and gaining strength. Some of my favourite movement suggestions to try include walking/hiking with family, pilates, yoga, strength training, HIIT and cycling.
If you are interested in gaining support with you movement routine and lifestyle overall, contact me today to get started on achieving your health and fitness goals!
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