Whether you are trying to lose weight or improve your physical health, it is important to have a plan. A physical therapist can provide you with a detailed and personalized wellness assessment and help you develop a plan to meet your goals.
Physiotherapy, also known as “physio”, is often thought of only for treating sports injuries. However, it can also be used to manage pain and improve movement, balance and posture.
Strengthening
Strengthening is a vital component to an effective exercise routine. It can help you lose weight, improve balance and build muscle. It can also keep your heart healthy, boost brain power and reduce pain. Depending on the type of strengthening exercises, it can even prevent injuries.
Any activity that makes your muscles work harder than normal counts as a strength-building exercise. It doesn’t need to be fancy or involve weight lifting, and can be done almost anywhere — climbing stairs, gardening, dancing or participating in an exercise class.
It is important to focus on slow, controlled movements during your strengthening exercise, and to always use a breathing technique (counting out loud can be helpful). This helps reduce the risk of injury while providing you with the best results. Keeping in mind your limitations, start slowly and increase the difficulty of your exercises as you get better. A physical therapist can help you develop an appropriate strengthening program for your age and fitness level.
Flexibility
Flexibility, the ability of muscles and joints to move through a full range of motion without restriction, is an important component of overall health. When flexibility is lost, everyday activities such as bending over or getting out of bed become difficult. Flexibility exercises can help decrease the risk of injury during exercise, sport and daily life by increasing the mobility and movement of the joints.
Physiologically, flexibility is the capacity of muscles and connective tissues to lengthen and stretch, and it can be measured using devices like goniometers. Dynamic flexibility is the ability to make repeated, rapid flexing movements (such as a forward bend or reaching for your toes). The goal of most flexibility training is to reduce the internal resistance that muscle and connective tissue impose on joint motion by reducing tension and increasing the range of motion of a particular joint.
The previous Healthy People 2010 objective that addressed flexibility was archived in 2020, but this doesn’t mean flexibility isn’t an important part of fitness and wellness. Studies have shown that flexibility is associated with better posture, improved athletic performance, and decreased back pain. However, there is a need for more research to establish a link between flexibility and specific health outcomes or markers. A common problem is that the flexibility tests used in these studies are not designed to measure health outcomes, and thus the association between these variables can be confounded by factors not related to flexibility.
Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a group of diseases that affect your heart and blood vessels. It causes heart attacks and stroke, and can be caused by a variety of things including plaque buildup in your arteries which can cause coronary artery disease, rheumatic fever which can lead to valvular diseases, and aging which can cause arrhythmias.
While some cardiovascular conditions like congenital heart disease may be inherited, many of the risk factors are preventable. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and lifestyle habits are key to preventing cardiovascular disease. The risk of having a heart attack or stroke is greatly reduced when these factors are addressed.
If you have a cardiovascular disease, it is important to be monitored regularly by your doctor. Your doctor will work with you to address risk factors by recommending changes to your lifestyle, if needed. This can include modifying your diet, increasing physical activity and losing weight.
If you’re seeking a Physiotherapist who can assist you with activities to enhance your cardiovascular health and more, consider consulting Powerhouse Physiotherapy. You can conveniently book an appointment on their website at powerhousephysio.com.au. They also specialize in aiding recovery from cardiac events like heart attacks or strokes, and in managing medications prescribed by your doctor. This may involve minimizing the side effects of certain medications, ensuring timely and proper dosage administration, and providing education on additional methods to promote heart health, such as smoking cessation, improving sleep, and stress reduction techniques.
Sports Performance
Athletes train very hard to reach the peak of their sports performance. But intense training and frequent competition can take a toll on their bodies, leading to back pains and other problems that impact their performance. Physiotherapy is one of the best ways to treat these injuries and improve sports performance.
Regular physio sessions can help prevent injuries, improve balance and posture, reduce recovery time between workouts, and enhance overall athleticism. In addition, the therapists can recommend nutritional advice that can help athletes perform at their best.
The therapists are also skilled at creating a rehabilitation plan that allows the athlete to gradually re-enter the sport they play without risking a new injury. This approach is a lot more effective than simply resting and waiting for the injury to heal, since it minimizes the risk of reinjury.
Whether you are an amateur or professional athlete, a physiotherapy program can help you achieve your goals. A physiotherapist can create a personalized plan that will improve your strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health, all of which are critical to your success in sports. With a physiotherapy program, you can reach your full potential on the field and achieve the results you’ve always wanted. Moreover, the treatments can even boost your mental health as well. This is essential because injuries can be emotionally challenging for athletes.
Clinic: Powerhouse Physiotherapy
Address: 196 Mouat St, Lyneham ACT 2602
Phone: (02) 6262 5740
Website: https://powerhousephysio.com.au
