Exercise…most of us either love it or loathe it. But we all want to achieve the best possible results from the time and effort we invest in exercise. It’s particularly important when you’re recovering from an injury. You want to get back to work (and life) as quickly as possible. An exercise program that’s tailored to you, can help you do just that.
A tailored exercise program means it has been designed with your goals, body shape, age and any injuries in mind. The exercise program can be delivered one-on-one or in group sessions with the exercises adapted to the needs of the individual.
Benefits of a Tailored Exercise Program
There’s a variety of reasons why a custom exercise program can benefit you.
#1 Won’t Risk Re-Injury
Exercise is important for injury recovery. But there’s still the risk that you could re-injure yourself and push back your recovery if you’re not careful. Choosing the wrong type of exercise or intensity is common and the reason why people may struggle to get back to the fitness and strength they had pre-injury. They often go back to doing the same type of exercise they’ve always done, not making allowances for injured or weak muscles and ligaments. Some people do as much harm with their rehabilitation because they avoid exercising their injured body part. Their fear of re-injury is so great that they don’t do enough rehabilitation and suffer long term effects.
Having an expert by your side ensures you’re doing the right type of exercise at each phase of your recovery. They can provide you with a program of exercises you may not have tried before, working parts of the body that don’t risk re-injury so you achieve the best outcome possible.
#2 Holistic Support
A serious injury often has more than physical repercussions. I and it’s common to suffer psychologically too. Sometimes it’s the psychological injury more than the physical injury that makes it hard to return to work or to regular daily living activities. Research by Black Dog Institute has found that 16 weeks of exercise can have the same mental health improvements as antidepressant medication for a person with mild to moderate depression.
A support person can give you suggestions for doing some exercise that will benefit your mental health as well as your physical health. Research has shown that exercising in nature such as a walk along the beach or bush track can do wonders for psychological wellbeing and physical recovery.
#3 Support in Getting Started
Not everyone knows how to implement an exercise program, particularly if exercise hasn’t been a big part of their life. You may have decided that you’re going to get fit or lose some weight through exercise but don’t know where to start. Do you sign up to a gym and sweat it out in a session every day or go for a walk around the block? Often it can feel daunting if you’re new to a gym and not used to using the equipment.
A tailored program can provide the support and information you need to get started. It will take into account your previous level of activity, general health and the goals you want to achieve to ensure you’re doing enough to achieve them.
#4 More than Just an Exercise Program
Many people recovering from an injury need more than exercise advice. They can benefit from a personalised workout and exercise program that takes into account other aspects of their life such as diet and nutrition, low mood, sleep, social interaction, work and family commitments. The program can be written to aid recovery if injured or improve their general health by taking into account the way a person lives and provide recommendations that suit their needs.
Everyone is different, so knowing the program participant’s personality and physical/mental health concerns can assist with preparing an exercise program that makes allowances for everything.
Recovery and Wellness Initiative
Altius Group offers the Recovery and Wellness Initiative (RAWI), designed to provide holistic support, to people with physical and psychological injuries who are unable to return to work or daily activities. We collaborate with the patient’s other stakeholders such as the treating doctor, psychologist or rehabilitation provider to ensure the patient has the best chance of success.
If you or your organisation could benefit from RAWI, call PeopleSense by Altius on 1300 307 912 or contact us online.