"Seasons greetings to you and yours!"
"Happiest of holidays!"
"Peace and joy this festive season"
No matter how you say it or how you write it, we have arrived at the time of year where messages of care are being exchanged. So what wishes do your local physiotherapy professionals have for you this holiday season?
Let's see!
Physiotherapy Wish #1
My physiotherapy wish is for people who have sedentary lifestyles or occupations to find creative ways to incorporate movement in their day.
I would encourage everyone to find 15 to 20 minutes, 3 times per week to perform an activity. This could be walking, cycling, or jogging. These activities provide an aerobic or cardiovascular workout.
A few benefits of this type of exercise include:
1. Weight management
2. Strengthening of your heart
3. Improvement in mood
4. Reduction of health risks
5. Improved stamina and physical fitness
6. Improved joint mobility through bodily motion.
- From Your Physio
Physiotherapy Wish #2
My physiotherapy wish for you is to remind you that when it comes to posture, you can make your next one the best one!
The idea of there being a perfect posture for sitting, working, or doing something for a sustained period is a myth. There is no one posture that is perfect ALL the time. Instead, your best posture is the next one that you move yourself into. Movement throughout the day, no matter how small, can be a simple and effective way to prevent and rehabilitate injuries.
- From Your Physio
Physiotherapy Wish #3
My physiotherapy wish for you would be that you let yourself rest.
Resting properly is trickier and a more critical part of injury rehabilitation than most people realize and is often at odds with the societal idea of aggressive action (“no pain, no gain”). The art of rest is mostly the art of “relative” rest: finding a way to stay active and fit without placing stress on injured or severely fatigued tissues.
So how is it done?
As long as you don’t have a hip or leg injury, walking is amazingly good exercise, even at much lower doses than the notorious 10,000 steps per day. Bicycling is also another classic option for relative rest. Obviously it’s not completely stressless BUT if the activity you are resting from is jogging, it is an option that reduces the load on the lower body and weight bearing.
- From Your Physio
Physiotherapy Wish #4
My physiotherapy wish for you is that you maintain hope and optimism during your rehabilitation as well as keep the long-term in perspective.
Rehabilitation of an injury can at times be a longer process than expected (or than hoped for). This can result in feeling down or frustrated which can lead to a drop off in commitment to following the rehabilitation plan. Maintaining optimism can keep you on track (and that's what we, as your physiotherapist, are here for as well).
When things are taking longer than you would like, it is also important to not rush back too early to something you really want to do as that may hinder your progress... This could include returning to a sport too soon or clearing snow off the sidewalk when your body isn't ready… just to name a few! When you feel this, it is important to keep the long-term in perspective, keep dedication to your program, and just like with optimism, we're here to help with that as well.
- From Your Physio