Are You Getting Enough Exercise?

In 2018, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic found that 80% of adults were not getting enough exercise. And that was pre-covid! Current guidelines recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. 2 days of resistance training per week is also recommended.

Resistance training is important for muscle, tendon, and joint health, as well as maintaining bone mineral density for bone health. It has long been established that maintaining a regular exercise program has numerous benefits. These benefits include improved sleep quality and energy levels, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, improved bone, joint health, and heart health, as well as assistance with weight loss and pain relief.

Take a moment to evaluate your current lifestyle. It has been a long year of avoiding public and/or places like fitness facilities. Feeling like you don’t know where to begin? It can be very intimidating to realize that it has been months or years since you have included regular exercise in your daily lifestyle.

A good place to start is with a trained professional – either a physical therapist or a knowledgeable personal trainer. A trainer or therapist can help you build a solid foundation of basic strength, mobility, and cardiovascular fitness that you can then build on thereafter. They can also help you modify activities to accommodate any restrictions such as joint pain or mobility limitations. It is possible to exercise comfortably even with conditions like arthritis, spinal stenosis, tendonitis, bursitis and many more. Often it is about finding the right exercise for you and modifying when needed.

Some examples of low impact exercise include walking, cycling, elliptical, yoga, swimming, and pool walking. Some examples of basic resistance training include kettlebells and resistance bands.

Synergy Rehabilitation and Wellness, in Scottsdale, AZ recommends finding a fitness professional near you today and make a resolution to move every day. Even just 15-20 minutes can have a tremendous impact on your health!

Start feeling better today, take that first step!

Author

Kyra Farkas, PA-C Kyra is a board certified Physician Assistant and graduate of Thomas Jefferson University with a specific interest in physical medicine and helping patients restore and improve their functional mobility due to her own passion for health and fitness. This passion began in high school while competing locally and nationally in track and weightlifting. She attended West Chester University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. Early in her college career, Kyra discovered her love for empowering others to pursue maximal personal health and wellness. She decided to pursue a career in medicine to have a more direct impact on patients’ lives. Kyra completed her Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies in 2018 and subsequently relocated to Scottsdale with her husband. Knowing every patient and their story is different, Kyra believes in an individualized and holistic approach to treating patients and improving quality of life.