Have you ever bought a year-long gym membership and stopped going after three months? Or one month?
Don’t think you are alone. One study of gym membership data found that most people don’t make it past the five-month mark in the first year-long gym membership they buy. Many gyms are still in operation only because of how many people buy a membership and stop using the facilities before the membership expires.
Unless physical fitness is a real passion for you, sticking to an exercise plan, gym membership or not, isn’t easy – even if you are motivated by a healthier lifestyle and/or weight loss, which is the case in the vast majority of us.
But if you’ve started an exercise program and abandoned it before reaching your goals, the fault is probably not entirely yours. There are a number of mitigating factors that make sticking to a program inherently difficult.
And physiotherapists can help you deal with those factors.
1. The Right Program for Your Body & Goals
For just about anyone who can do it, jogging is a great exercise. But, even if there’s no physical reason why you can’t jog, it doesn’t mean that it’s something that you will continue to pursue. A physiotherapist can help you design a program that is best suited for your body and what you want to achieve. You are more likely to stick with a program that is focused on your personal circumstances and preferences.
2. Your Partner in Fitness
Another thing that defeats many an exercise program is the fact that they are undertaken alone. That makes it so easy to abandon ship at the first sign of an issue. But, especially with a program designed by a physiotherapist, when you must regularly check your progress with the therapist, not only are you more likely to stick with it, but adjustments can be made on the fly to ‘fine tune’ the program to keep the results coming and your motivation high.
3. Keep You on Track
Injuries, twists and twinges are often the culprits behind the early demise of an exercise program. And who can blame you. It’s tough enough without having to go through your program with muscle and joint pain. Not only can a physiotherapist help relieve the pain of injures, strains and sprains, but they can also help you avoid them in the first place.
Every effort you make to get more physical activity in your life is a good one. A physiotherapist can help you get the best results from all your efforts.
