Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Exercise?
The human body thrives on receiving regular doses of exercise. It keeps our cells nourished, our hearts in good shape, our bones dense and our muscles strong. Any kind of physical activity is a lot better than no activity at all, but how do we know if we’re getting the most out of our regular exercise?
There are correct forms, techniques and practices for getting the best results from our cardio and weight training. One interesting piece of information is that muscle growth and performance improvement don’t happen during the workout but during the rest periods and intervals between sessions. For instance, poor sleep might make it hard for you to come back stronger after a workout- causing you to hit fitness plateaus. Optimal hydration also plays an important role due to potentially losing as much as 10% of your body weight in fluids during exercise. This high fluid loss without prompt replenishment can reduce your body’s ability to recover and can even make your workout feel much harder. This lack of recovery between sessions places the body at higher risk of potential injury.
Getting the most out of your exercise
Notice that most of what we’ve mentioned so far doesn’t have anything to do with exercise directly. After all, what brings huge results are the habits that are beyond the main activity itself. It’s similar to how some people continuously rise to the top when it comes to career and business. Aside from being excellent at their work, they have also adopted strong habits and skills that are outside of their main duties and responsibilities. For example, many of those who excel in their career are also committed to advancing their knowledge and network by taking master’s and doctoral degrees. Many of them have also improved their social and public speaking skills. All these combined skills better positions a person to be selected for a higher role or advance in their career.
When it comes to exercise, getting the most out of it can also be about doing other tasks to support achieving better results. As mentioned earlier, good sleep and proper hydration can help your body become stronger and recover much faster. In addition, sticking to a proper nutrition plan can also help your body absorb enough nutrients for faster growth and recovery. A proper warm-up (mimicking the workout you’re about to perform) and soft tissue massage (helping to decrease muscle tightness and increase blood flow) also help to improve your physical performance and your body’s ability to recover and adapt.
Once we’ve successfully implemented the habits that ensure optimal recovery between each workout, we need to take a hard look at the workouts themselves! Proper form and an optimal number of sets and repetitions can make a huge difference, not just in your overall performance but also in your body composition. In addition, performing the exercises correctly can also save you from physical injuries and pain. In fact, correct technique can even help reduce low back pain, shoulder pain and pain due to knee osteoarthritis. The right gym and home exercise programs can also help you address your strength, flexibility and motor coordination concerns. These not only help you in recovering from pain and injury but also when it comes to improving the activation of your core stabilisers that support your spine, shoulder and pelvis. These are crucial if you want to continue to enjoy an active lifestyle as you’ll be experiencing far fewer injuries. If you’re unfortunate enough to currently be suffering from injury due to overexertion or an awkward movement, the right exercise program can help with your recovery and prevent recurrence.
About kinesiology and adaptation through exercise
Kinesiology is the study of body movement (including mechanisms of movement and relevant physiological and psychological principles). One core principle of kinesiology is about the ability of our brains and bodies to adjust and adapt. The neuroplasticity of the brain and the adaptability of the musculoskeletal system allow us to recover and get even stronger through therapeutic exercise. As a result, deep knowledge of kinesiology and biomechanics is important in designing an optimal exercise program that will help you recover and improve your core strength.
Here at Erko Physio, some of our physiotherapists have attained degrees in Exercise and Sports Science or Kinesiology, or are Level 1 and 2 qualified trainers from the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association in addition to their Physiotherapy degrees. Our team can design a specific exercise program to reduce your pain and bring you back to your functional goals. The tailored exercise program you’ll receive would also address your concerns about your strength, flexibility and motor coordination. We can also work closely with your personal trainer or instructor to prevent recurrence of injury and help you go back to your workout routine and active lifestyle. Contact us today if you require more information.