4 Benefits of Keeping Fit During the Pandemic

4 Benefits of Keeping Fit During a Pandemic

Looking after our minds and bodies has never been so important. When the world is suddenly flipped upside down and our normality drastically changes, it can be easy to fall off track, particularly with our fitness regimes, which is completely understandable in such unusual circumstances.

However, everyone knows that exercise is just as important for the mind, as it is for the body, which is why it’s important you don’t lose focus on what makes you feel good. Whether you now work from home or must dedicate more hours of your day to homeschooling your children, it is crucial you still make time for what keeps you happy. Whether that’s going for afternoon jogs or working out in the yard for half an hour each morning, it’s fundamental that you still make time for yourself.

So, what are the benefits of keeping fit during a pandemic?

Improved Mental Health

According to Healthline, mental health is just as important as a person’s physical health. When you think about exercise more specifically, you need to have a certain level of mental strength in order to exercise in the first place. Consider the physical pain of an intense workout, for example, such as a 5k run without stopping, that requires a certain level of self-belief. When you challenge your body to tasks you may not have thought you could have done, such as 50 burpees, and prove to yourself that you can do it with the right mentality, then that heightens your mental strength and therefore boosts your mental health.

Boosts Happiness

No one regrets a workout or feels worse in themselves than they did before a workout. That is because there is a great deal of satisfaction and accomplishment after any physical activity, as we are rewarding our bodies, which ultimately makes us feel happier as a result.

An opportunity for extra happiness should be taken.

Improved Physical Fitness

Whether you have access to a gym and workout equipment or not, there is no reason as to why you cannot still maintain and even improve your level of fitness. If you get into regular habits of exercising during this pandemic, your body will thank you for it when you notice the physical changes, such as your legs becoming more toned, or the loss of fat off your stomach.

There are many ways you can incorporate exercise into your daily routine, even if it is a speed walk to work and back every day, you will still see the benefits.

Better Quality of Sleep

Every night is a new opportunity to get a good night sleep, however if you are regularly exercising, research proves you are more likely to have a better quality of sleep. If you have a sit-down job, you may feel restless at bedtime and struggle to drift off. To approach this issue, you could introduce some form of exercise in the evening to help tire out your body in your preparation for a good night sleep.

24 days to a stronger core!

The importance of building strength of your abdominal, low back and pelvic floor muscles has been supported by research to reduce your risk of developing low back pain for many years.  People often don’t know how to get started and what exercises to perform.  This 24 day calendar produced by webexercises.com takes out the guess work and gives you a simple way to track completion.  The reps and sets are guidelines only and you should modify it based on your fitness level.  If too difficult, consider reducing the number of reps or how long to hold each exercise.  If too easy, do the opposite and increase the work load.  Be prepared for post exercise muscle soreness usually 2 days later.  If you have unusually pain or soreness that develop, please contact us immediately for an evaluation.  Get started now!

Download the core calendar below:

Core calendar  

Manalapan location moves to its new permanent home!

Our new office in Manalapan is now complete and open for business!  It is now located at 100 Craig Road, Suite 108, Manalapan, NJ 07726.  Stop in to see our new, state of the art, 2100 sqft facility on the ground floor of the 100 Building.  Here are some photos of the new location:

Balance and Falls Screening at YMCA Freehold on Nov 6, 2019 from 10am to 1pm

See flyer for event!

Fall prevention camera ready with hours – YMCA

Read Dr. Deak’s article which will be published in News Transcript in Nov 2019 on Balance and Falls Prevention:

Physical Therapy and Fall Prevention

By: Jessica Deak, PT, DPT

Leaves are the only thing that should be falling around this time of the year. However, more than 1 in 4 older adults aged 65 and over fall each year. Every 20 minutes an older adult will die from a fall. Falls are the second leading cause of accidental or unintentional injury deaths worldwide and as a result, can lead to high economic and personal costs.

 

There are several risk factors that contribute to falling including: older age, visual problems, muscle weakness, balance deficits, arthritis, diabetes, fear of falling, medication side effects, home hazards such as throw rugs and poor lighting, and lack of accessibility in the home. Most falls are caused by a combination of the aforementioned risk factors. Physical therapy can address several of these risk factors and your physical therapist can develop a plan for you to address safety and decrease your risk of falling.

 

Research has shown that there are various degrees of benefit from physical therapy. Although engaging in daily exercise has many positive effects for strength, flexibility, and overall movement, a thorough evaluation from a physical therapist can help you to identify specific exercises that address your functional needs. There is also evidence that general group exercise programs, which do not focus specifically on balance and strength, are not as effective as individually tailored exercise programs that focus specifically on progressive balance exercises.

 

At db Ortho PT, a fall prevention program has been established which includes a quick screen consisting of evidence-based measures in order to determine if you are at risk for future falls. This screening will be promoted in the community and will also be available in our office for individuals who are concerned about their balance. After the screening, we will determine if you are a candidate for the fall prevention program. A physical therapist is capable of accurately diagnosing balance dysfunction and risk for falls by a comprehensive evaluation including history taking, physical examination, as well as functional/balance tests. Once a comprehensive evaluation is completed a plan of care can be established. Your personalized program will consist of several factors including strengthening, balance activities, flexibility, functional training, coordination, or a combination. We can also determine if an assistive device or environmental adaptations may be beneficial to address any physical and/or sensory impairments.

 

Dr. Jessica Deak is a Doctor of Physical Therapy at db Ortho PT of Manalapan, LLC, located at 120 Craig Rd., Suite 2. Dr. Deak can be reached at 732-462-2162 or via e-mail at jdeak@dborthopt.com. You can also find out more about our practice at dborthopt.com.