Expert Contributor by Mark E. Reitz, PT Penn Therapy Associates
Easing into an Exercise Program Wow! Summer is starting and the thought of wearing a bathing suit is causing alarms to go off in your head. The annual wish to be in better shape continues to nag at you, but the time and effort to get in shape can be an overwhelming process. You just don’t have the time to get to a gym and the thought of exercising with all of the buff 20-somethings is out of the question. So, where do you go and how do you get started? Your local Physical Therapist’s (PT’s) office could be the perfect place. PTs are the most highly trained medical professionals who are also trained in exercise technique and overall fitness. Being
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Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors
June 2022
aware of your medical history is extremely important so they’ll know which exercises may be good for you as well as which ones you should avoid. For starters, the misconception that you MUST commit hours at a time, several days per week to gain any level of fitness needs to be done away with. That has been proven to simply be not true. Especially at the beginning, 15–20 minutes of exercise per day, three to four days a week can be ideal. Take a brief walk on your lunch break. Take the stairs instead of the elevator when possible. Lie on the floor during commercial breaks while watching TV and do some hamstring stretches or mini crunches. Try doing 10 wall squats while dinner is cooking, and then turn around to do 10 wall push ups. There are dozens of simple exercises that you can do without any equipment or the need to be in a gym. Your PT will be able to provide you with a series of exercises like these, in addition to ways to increase the intensity of your program as you progress. It’s true that eventually you may need to dedicate a little more time in order to lose those stubborn pounds, but you have to start somewhere. Those first few days always seem to be the hardest part, but there are ways to make that process easier than you may have thought. Don’t let exercise intimidate you. Pick up the phone and call your local PT. They will be happy to help guide you through the process, and in most cases your medical insurance will cover the expense. Insurance companies much prefer to pay for preventive measures versus post-injury rehab. Hopefully, you’ll be able to look in the mirror this summer while wearing your bathing suit and smile. NS
