Are you just exercising for the sake of exercising?
How many times have we walked into the gym and someone has asked, what are you training today? And your response is ‘whatever I feel like’. Whether you’re trying to stay fit and healthy or training for a specific outcome, an exercise plan is what you need.
An Exercise Physiologist will assist you in structuring your training, and guide you to your goals. Exercise physiologists are University Qualified exercise professionals equipped to work with clientele that have chronic conditions, injuries, disabilities and more. It is VITAL for you to exercise right depending on your health concerns, this is where an Exercise Physiologist is best suited to tailor an exercise program to fit the needs of your condition and your individual goals. Whether you’re exercising for strength, physique, to improve fitness, or to assist with health conditions, we have the right exercise for you.
Where to start?
Make a Goal
A SMART goal will allow you to control your goals and ensure they are achievable. Your goals can vary from wanting to lose 5kg in 10 weeks, leg pressing 100kg by 8 weeks time, or run your first 5km. Having a goal will assist to ensure you continue with your progress toward your desired outcome.
Using the SMART Goal setting tool to assist you with your planning will assist with making it achievable and manageable.
S - specific
M - measurable
A - achievable
R - realistic
T - timely
Start small, this is a lifestyle change!
How much do you need?
When creating your schedule you’ll need to know the frequency, duration and intensity of exercise that will be best suited for your goals. More importantly how much time you can set aside in your daily schedule to achieve this.
The Australian guidelines for physical activity are 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week for healthy adults or 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise.
However, if you’ve never exercised before we won’t start there, these guidelines are the goal! If you were to go from 0 minutes of exercise to 150 minutes you may find this very challenging and give up when it gets too overwhelming. Consult your Exercise physiologist to develop YOUR journey and the appropriate progressions along the way.
Once this is established you can set a schedule for exercise and set reminders until it's part of your daily routine.
What is Classed as Physical Activity?
Unfortunately, the daily tasks you complete don’t count towards the exercise minutes, such tasks include housework, gardening and job-related activities. Activities that are challenging enough to raise a sweat and increase your heart rate for a significant duration of time, these exercises can consist of many activities such as;
-Brisk walking
-Running
-Biking
-Swimming
-Resistance training
-Outdoor activities ie. Hiking, kayaking and more
How to achieve Moderate and Vigorous intensity exercise?
Rating of Perceived Exertion is a widely used tool to determine the perceived difficulty of an activity. The RPE scale is a useful tool to gauge the intensity of an exercise requiring no equipment, is easily understood. However, if you have a health condition consult your health practitioner or Exercise physiologist prior to commencing vigorous exercise.
Everyone’s exercise journey is different and depending on your current situation can be more challenging than most. Having someone to guide you in the right direction is vital to success. An Exercise physiologist is here to assist in Your Journey and achieve Your GOAL!