Many of us spend most of our days sitting at our desk, then arrive home too exhausted to exercise. This can take a toll on our body over time. Today, our Manotick physiotherapists explain how physiotherapy and nutrition services can help you break the health impacts and habits that result from a sedentary lifestyle.
The Impact of a Sedentary Lifestyle
Humans were, historically, a very active species out of necessity. We routinely relied on our physical fitness to hunt, catch every meal and fight off predators.
However, we've discovered ways to make life easier in all aspects, including, eating, working, transportation, activities and hobbies, as the human race has evolved and industrialization has taken effect.
Work began to consume more four lives and we acquired the ability to mass produce our food, resulting in physical activity taking a back seat in our lives.
And in the last few years, you may have cut that short walk to and from the office out of your day in favour of working home in the midst of COVID-19 and its long-term impact on our professional and personal lives.
No matter the cause, a sustained lack of physical activity naturally results in spending much more time sitting. You may have even heard the news that "sitting is the new smoking" as it can have a hugely negative impact on our physical health.
Since most people today spend much of their workday sitting at their desk for 8 hours a day, then going home and sitting down to dinner before vegging in front of the TV or on their devices. This means they're not burning the same number of excess calories as they would were they leading a more physically active lifestyle.
The results of this appear when our physical or mental health is later impacted by diabetes, heart disease or depression - just a handful of common risks. Something as simple as stepping on to the scale or feeling out of breath chasing after the kids can also be a wakeup call. People who lead sedentary lifestyles may also notice their joints and muscles become stiff and sore due to infrequent use and exercise.
How Physiotherapy & Nutrition Services Can Help Improve Health
If you'd like to introduce more physical activity into your life and abolish the habits that contribute to your sedentary lifestyle, our physiotherapists at our sister location in Nepean can help by developing a physical therapy program geared to your needs.
Here, we'll talk about which actions we can take to help improve your health and get you back to engaging in safe physical activity.
Learn About Healthy Lifestyles
Before you lace up your running shoes or head to the gym for the first time in years, you'll need to gradually reintroduce physical activity to prevent injury and create new, healthy habits to support your healthy lifestyle. A physiotherapist can design a program and timeline to help with this and tailor it to suit your needs.
This may include working with a registered dietician to develop an action plan to fulfill your unique lifestyle and dietary needs, based on a thorough assessment of your social, medical and dietary history.
Whether you're interested in learning about healthy eating, managing your weight, managing a chronic disease or other topic, the team at our physiotherapy clinic in Nepean is here to help. Here are some ways we can help improve your health through physiotherapy and nutritional counseling.
Gradually Reintroduce Physical Activity
Want to get physically active again, but not sure where to start? Our physiotherapists can help. We specialize in assessing and restoration of movement and dysfunction, in addition to injury and disease prevention. Part of our role is to improve mobility and quality of life by:
- Educating clients about how to manage and prevent injuries
- Reducing and managing pain
- Helping to increase strength and range of motion
- Optimizing balance and coordination
- Developing a personalized, goal-oriented therapeutic exercise program
If your goal is to return to physical activity after some time away, our physiotherapists can help you overcome pain or injury so you can enjoy working out again. Your physiotherapist can conduct a thorough individual assessment to determine what's causing your pain or dysfunction, then develop a personalized treatment plan to help you achieve your goals.
Practice New Habits & Routines as Part of Your Physiotherapy Program
While many people find it exciting to commit to new exercise routines, once the shine wears off, it can be difficult to stay motivated and on track with your physical therapy routine - especially if you're attending multiple times a week and are slowly but gradually progressing.
That's why it can be helpful to communicate openly with your physiotherapist about how to make sticking to those new habits and routines easier, including discussing your interests and building your nutritional and exercise programs around these (and making necessary tweaks as you gain experience) to increase your chances of success.
For example, perhaps you're into walking in nature, so daily strolls would work well. Or, like many people you may carry stress in your back and shoulders, so your physiotherapist may recommend exercises you can do at your desk to prevent soreness and stiffness.
No matter the finer details, your goal should be to feel fulfilled, tired and content at the end of each session. In addition, never hesitate to bring your questions or concerns to our team. We are here to help.
Physiotherapy & Nutrition Services
Nutrition and physiotherapy often go hand in hand in terms of health and disease prevention for people who need to implement new habits, and break old ones that become entrenched due to living a sedentary lifestyle.
By pairing our Nutrition Services with a customized physical therapy program, our physiotherapists at our location in Nepean can often help clients resolve physical function, mobility and acute and ongoing health issues, and get back to enjoying a high quality of life.