Our team at Palermo Physiotherapy and Wellness in Oakville would like to wish everyone a wonderful New Year! We hope everyone has a healthy and happy upcoming year. Our practitioners (Physio’s, RMT’s, and Chiropodist)  enjoy what we do for a variety of reasons:

• We love educating and empower our patients to be active participants in their treatment.
• In massage helping loosen tight muscles, joints, and relieving stress.
• Assisting as someone recovers from a fall, injury, surgery, and aches and pains is incredibly rewarding.
• Helping someone get back to activities, sports and life a large part of what we do.

A major part of what we do as Physiotherapists, Massage Therapists and Foot Specialists is to help a person  gain function, as well as prevent decline. As we enter 2016 many people make new years resolutions that may be based more on superficial ideals. There area many changes we can make as we strive for self betterment. Let us make our case for what we think you should consider as one of your goals for this New Year and what we hope will continue to be a an ongoing goal.

2016 – Let Your Resolution this Year be to Gain STRENGTH!

Many people seek the care of Physiotherapists, Massage Therapists, Chiropodists and Chiropractors  when they are experiencing a sudden or acute injury or as they recover from a surgery (eg. ACL reconstruction, joint replacement) or broken bone (think cast off…now what!?). Generally healing and recovery in these cases depends on a few things; the age of a person, general health, previous injuries, previous level of function and fitness. In our experience if you have a higher baseline level of strength and health it can be much easier to recover from these things.

Want to know the REAL Fountain of Youth?

Aging is an inevitable process that is a privilege, as we get older there are certain cellular and bodily changes that occur. It is never too late to try and get stronger. Strengthening and strength training or “resistance training” is a valuable thing to add into your weekly routine for a variety of reasons:

• Maintaining independence – at first glance you may think we mean as in staying at home for longer (aging at home), and YES! that’s certainly the case. In reality this can mean carrying in groceries from the car, getting up off of the floor, getting up and down the stairs, carrying your laundry, doing your yard  work, changing your tires, shoveling your snow, getting in and out of the chair….the list can go on.
• Injury prevention
• Improved sports performance
• Fall prevention
• Increased bone density
• Improved posture
• Pain management
• Increased endurance
• Prevention of or control of chronic conditions and their progression: Osteoarthritis, heart disease, diabetes
• Improved sleep
• Decreased stress
• Improved self-esteem

We’re going to use the phrase here that many have used before – if exercise was a pill everyone would want it!

Choose your Own Adventure!

Strength training does not need to be complicated, but it is best to begin a program with guidance. Even if you’ve been going to the gym for awhile it’s a good idea to have a “tune up”. It’s important to find an activity you enjoy that will help you build and maintain strength here are some suggestions based on certain scenarios:

I have never done any strength training.

• No problem. Now is a great time to start! A Physiotherapist can help you get started. They will do an assessment and put together a program for home or the gym and review that is designed for you and your goals. An experienced personal trainer can also be an ally to help watch your form – WARNING!!! Don’t get stuck on the machines (if possible)! Dumbbell, barbell and bodyweight exercises are where its at! Machines are not one size fits all and are often do not replicate

I do work out. I’ve been lifting the same weights for 15 reps 3 sets for years.

• It’s so easy to get stuck in the same routine. Some strengthening is better than nothing. Try changing things up! Change the exercises, increase the weights. Our bodies adapt to the stresses that we place on it. It sounds that you may not be as efficient with your time. The time spent may not be producing the best pay off for you.

I have been injured and am scared to try again.

• A Physio can help you get to the bottom of why you you injured and help with a transition back to strengthening. You Physiotherapist will also provide you with tools to help prevent re-injury.

You have done strength training but “don’t have time”

• You don’t need to do a lot to be effective. A short and specific trip to the gym on the way to or from work. A quick workout at home using body weight is also possible. If you have time to watch TV you can fit in a couple exercises in. (think good, better, best options for strengthening).

I go to the gym all the time…Actually today is back and biceps...

• See above. Don’t forget that your legs need strengthening too!

I do go for walks

• Amazing! Walking is a great cardiovascular activity but it is not strengthening. Squats, step ups, lunges, bridges would be more specific.

We hope that we’ve made a good case to start, continue, or modify a strength routine this New Year! Remember that your Physiotherapist is an ally in helping you reach this goal and can often help direct you in terms of a few community based options regardless of your age!