Movement is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. I feel so strongly about the importance of movement that I have included the word in my business name Hand to Heal Massage and Movement and have built a career around it!
Movement is not just about maintaining a healthy weight. We live longer! Exercise guidelines based on current research tell us that mortality rate is reduced by 50% if we follow them. Not only do we live longer but there are so many other benefits.
The current guidelines around recommended daily exercise are not only for the general population but the evidence also supports that the following will benefit a number of common chronic pain and medical conditions:
- minimum of 2 resistance (weights or bodyweight) training sessions per week working all major muscle groups to near fatigue on non-consecutive days
- minimum of 30 minutes per day of moderate intensity cardio (where you are slightly out of breath) 5 x per week. The 30 minutes can be broken down into 3 lots of 10 minutes or less days for longer sessions such as 60 minute run or fast walk 3 times per week
Whilst regular exercise is vital we also need to consider how sedentary we are in our day. Getting up from our desk at regular intervals will assist with fatigue, focus, muscle pain and joint pain and that general feeling of well-being. Examples of this might be something like having a water bottle that you need to get up and refill regularly to remind you to move and tracking your steps on a fitness tracker as a motivator to reach your movement.
Getting outside to move around is also important. Sunlight helps our body synthesise vitamin D. We need vitamin D to form and maintain healthy bones.
When we exercise, endorphins (the body’s natural pain killer and feel good chemicals) are released which creates a feeling of well-being. When we move and exercise we also experience a better quality of sleep which supports our mental health and improves symptoms of depression and anxiety.
A number of chronic pain conditions are also benefited by exercise. Osteoarthritis is a very common condition as we age. The misconception is that this is an overuse condition and we need to stop moving to manage the pain. In fact moving the joint in its full range of motion is how the synovial fluid within our joints feeds the structures such as the cartilage. By loading and moving the joint to its full capacity we create a pumping motion where the wastes are pulled out of the joint capsule and the nutrients are absorbed in. We can slow down the progression of osteoarthritis just by moving.
If you are experiencing pain or discomfort that is preventing you from moving and enjoying your life with your family then get in touch with the team at Hand to Heal. After a thorough assessment we will come up with a treatment plan that is unique to you and your circumstances.
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