Gyms can be intimidating! So much equipment, so many people, so many eyes staring at you. I had a patient tell me today that she went to the gym and immediately left because she felt overwhelmed and intimidated. Despite a meeting with a trainer a few months prior, she still felt underprepared and overloaded by the unknown. Ugh.
Motivation to get to the gym is admirable. It's as if people know the benefits of exercise and choose to exercise their ability to get out and move (get it?! hehe, pun intended 😁) If you've been following along, the benefits of exercise to follow will be redundant. If you haven't been following along, welcome! According to the Mayo clinic, a few of the benefits of exercise include:
Weight control. Exercise can be a catalyst to weight reduction, and a means to help maintain an already healthy weight.
Helps to prevent or manage health conditions and diseases. Exercise helps to boost your HDL's (your good cholesterol), which ultimately helps the blood flow through your body. In return, this can reduce your risk for heart disease, among many other.
Boosts your mood! I love this one the most. At a physiological level, what happens is science-y. Basically, physical activity increases certain chemicals in your brain that truly control your mood. At a basic level, though, when you've had a crappy day, it makes you feel better!
Promotes better sleep. If I polled my patients about their sleep when they complain of elevated pain levels, I would bet my future powerball earnings that the quality of their sleep had been crap. Sleep is good in so many ways, therefore, so is exercise ;)
As a physical therapist, one of my main goals is to always ensure my patients can complete exercises at home without any barriers. Not everyone can afford a gym membership, or a dumbbell, or has space or time to commit to a fancy exercise routine. I have a rule in my own practice that I will not 'prescribe' more than seven exercises to work on at home. The magical number seven comes from countless studies in which it has been proven that, on average, the most items the brain can recall on the fly is seven. I have a duty to set people up for success, and if my practice isn't successful, how could I expect them to be! Trust me, I know time is valuable, and most of us could argue "I don't have time for exercise". Whatever time you have is the right amount of time.
If you're new to exercise and have used the "I don't have time" excuse yourself, I have some beginner exercises you can try in the comfort of your own home. No equipment needed and could even be done in your pajamas while your wine aerates or your tea steeps. Without further ado:
Wall push up. Stand approximately 12 inches away from the wall, with your hands directly in front of your chest, shoulder width apart, on the wall. Bend your elbows to lower down to the wall, press yourself back up. A push up against the wall. Repeat 10 repetitions, 2-3 sets based on your response or time to commit.
Standing toe taps. Stand at the bottom of a step or find something (get creative here!) with a step like height and stand behind it, hang on for balance, and alternating your feet, step up to tap your toes on the step. Repeat 10 times with each leg, 2-3 sets based on your response or time to commit.
Sit to stand. Sit in a chair, stand up, sit down. Repeat 10 times, 2-3 sets based on your response or time to commit. Can get creative with this to perform without arms, as many times as you can in 30 seconds (compete with yourself!), perform with your feet together...have fun with it, get active!
Bridge. Lie down on a firm surface, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the surface, place your arms by your side. Squeeze your butt cheeks together, push through your heels, and lift your bum in the air about 12 inches. Hold your bum in the air for 5 seconds, repeat 10 times, 2-3 sets based on your response or time to commit.
Incline plank. Find something counter top height - counter top, back of couch, tall bed, place your forearms down on the surface, walk your feet back until your body is one straight line, and hold. Start with a 10 second hold, and try to increase your time of hold each day!
You are now set up for success in beginning your exercise journey! Set realistic expectations for yourself. If you've never exercised a day in your life and now you're telling yourself you'll start exercises every damn day - that's a lie, and you know it. Start with 2 days a week, and once you're successful with that increase to 3 days a week, then maybe even 4! And come back in a couple of weeks for the next set of exercises ;)
You can't fill from an empty cup!
