Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Month

Mythbusting fitness

DON’T do sit-ups for great abs and core muscles!
Sit-ups have been popular forever, but they can put strain on your back. Better to opt for planking, bicycle crunches and other options – your physiotherapist can advise you on what would work for your individual body.

Weight training IS for women too!
Many women think they’ll build muscles like body-builders if they work with weights. Nope! In fact, women benefit a lot from working with weights, which improves body composition, health and resilience – your physiotherapist can advise you on what would work for your individual body.

You don’t NEED to drink sports drinks!
Drink water when you feel thirsty. That’s all. While doing every-day exercise or movement you don’t need to worry about hydration or electrolytes, and the sugars in sports drinks can up your kilojoule intake.

Use it or lose it!
It takes less than two weeks to start losing the benefits of regular exercise. Your heart starts to decondition in 24 hours, for example. If you must skip exercise, ask your physiotherapist about things you can do, even in total bed-rest, to lose as little fitness as possible.

You DON’T have to join a gym or run a marathon!
Break up your day with short bursts of movement. Do strength training by playing aeroplane with your baby. Walk to the coffee-shop for an on-the-go cuppa. Walk while talking through a project with colleagues. Even low-intensity movement counts – just move! Ask your physiotherapist what would work in your life.

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