Physical Therapy Treats Consequences of Sedentary Lifestyles

There’s no way around it. We are a lot less active as a society. In the past, people used to walk from place to place. Now they drive or even work from home or school. That means a lot more time sitting and a lot less time standing or walking around. No, a short walk to the refrigerator and back does not count. Modern technology has a lot of benefits, but there are big drawbacks too. Being inside due to Covid-19 has not helped matters at all.

One thing about this sedentary lifestyle is that it can cause a host of different problems. People can gain too much weight and wind up with everything from back pain to diabetes. It becomes a matter of getting into shape to help offset the sedentary part of your lifestyle. But you’re going to need some help – and a physical therapist can help you.

Here are some ways that Physical Therapy can help people get healthy despite a sedentary lifestyle.

Pinpoint What A Healthy Level Is For Them

A great way to have to go back into a sedentary lifestyle is to go roaring into an exercise program. Trying to do too much too soon can spectacularly backfire. So the first thing that the physical therapist needs to do is talk with the patient and evaluate what would be the best thing for them. Not everyone is going to want to be able to run an ultramarathon.

A good physical therapist will make sure to customize something that will work for that patient and not just try to do a “by the numbers’ program that may not get the results that they want. Here’s where they will use their intimate knowledge of how the human body works to good use.

Make It Interesting

This is the key for the physical therapist. They need to zero in on what interests a particular patient and find a way to get them to be more active, or even stand up longer. If art is something that captures their attention, then perhaps they could have them set up an easel and stand to draw or paint. They can focus on doing that and the time can go much faster than if just standing and staring at a wall.

The same can be done for people who like to play video games. There are consoles where people can use their bodies to play the game. The Nintendo Wii is one of them and there are a lot of things to choose from – ranging from boxing to tennis. No, nobody hits each other in the boxing game. Still, it can be a much more fun way to start burning calories.

Have a Positive Feedback Loop

The physical therapist can use their powers of observation here… some people like to get a lot of praise when they are doing their exercise program. Did they gut through a particularly challenging set of a particular exercise? They can get a lot of “Awesome work!” Others just need minimal encouragement, perhaps just a thumbs-up.

But the physical therapist and the patient have to view this as something that they are working on together. The patient is not a new military recruit and the physical therapist is not a drill instructor. While the physical aspect of it can be daunting from time to time, the personal interaction should never feel like that. A positive loop will make reaching the fitness goal even better.

Although having a sedentary lifestyle can fit a particular person’s skill set, doing the above can help offset some or all of the negative effects. It’s going to take a combination of things, including proper nutrition and rest, to get the most benefits from the physical therapy, but it is an important cornerstone to build upon. A faster metabolism can do a lot of good. It’s often just adding more movement to your daily routines – or even things like using a reclining elliptical while you are watching television. A standing desk may be a good idea.

When it comes to starting this, though, it’s important to see a doctor first. Not doing that can lead to a possible injury or illness that could wind up leading to a setback. Once that has been cleared, then it’s time to take that step to getting into a fit lifestyle again… and one that likely can go on for a much longer one than if you are living a sedentary one.

When it comes to physical therapy, the staff at Phoenix Physical Therapy Rehabilitation PLLC are experts at coming up with an individual plan that will maximize each patient’s potential. There are three locations, Brooklyn and Rosedale, and each one is kept in sterile conditions. Give them a call today at 347-733-1916 to see what they can do for you.

 

Phoenix Physical Therapy

Rosedale Location
23520 147th Avenue, Suite 1,
Rosedale, NY, 11422

Brooklyn Location
7510 4th Ave., Suite 3,
Brooklyn, NY, 11209
Phone: (347) 733-1916