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YES!
Living an active life and exercising is important for everyone! Being active is important for physical, emotional, and mental health.
Here are some of the benefits of being physically active:
Makes muscles and bones stronger
Improves thinking, learning, and decision-making
Improves mood and decreases anxiety and depression
Makes everyday tasks easier to accomplish
Weight management
And overall contributes to a longer, healthier life!
Believe it or not, the CDC has the same recommendations for children and adults, regardless of ability! The specific guidelines are included at the bottom, but here’s the summary of what they have to say for adults:
Some activity is always better than none! There are benefits to even small amounts of physical activity, so don’t worry if you can’t meet the recommendations right away.
When possible, it’s good for everyone to include both aerobic exercises (such as running, walking, or biking) and muscle strengthening exercises (like lifting weights, using resistance bands, or doing yoga). Find exercises that work for you!
Adults should strive for at least 150 minutes, or 2.5 hours, of exercise every week. That may sound like a lot, but remember that you don’t have to get there all at the beginning! The 150 minutes could be all at once, or could be broken up into smaller chunks (such as 15 minutes at the start and end of every week day).
If you cannot meet any of the suggestions, have no fear: the most important step is participating in physical activity regularly!
For children, the CDC recommends 60 minutes of physical activity in any form every day!
Before starting any exercise program, it’s important to communicate with your doctor about it. Many diagnoses have specific things to keep in mind, so make sure that your exercises are the best fit for you. If your doctor says you’re good to go, here are some tips to get you started!
Sometimes beginning an exercise program can be intimidating -- luckily, you don’t have to start by doing everything at once. Start slow, work your way up, and remember that every little bit counts!
The best exercise is the one that you will do! Exercise shouldn’t feel like a punishment, and there’s no one way to do it. Find some things that you enjoy, so exercise is fun instead of a chore!
Especially at the beginning, set yourself up for success by removing barriers that make it harder to exercise. For example, if you know you’ll want to relax when you get home from work or school, find a way to exercise before you get home or first thing after you get there. Figure out what works for you and stick with it!
Find a pattern in your day and make it a habit! The more you say yes to a habit, the easier it will become to continue to say yes to that habit. The more you say no, the harder it will get to say yes. Little choices can make a big difference over the long term!
Be nice to yourself. When you miss a day or miss a goal, don’t get too down on yourself. We all do it, and it’s really not a big deal! Tomorrow is another day, just go get it next time!
Make sure to check out some of the resources in the “Resources” tab to help you find a program that works for you! If you want to learn more, check out the CDC guidelines and my sources below.
You rock -- keeping working and being the best you that you can be!
Adam Schnacker, SPT, CPT
Adam is a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at the University of Kansas Medical Center, a LEND Emerging Leader, and an ACE Certified personal trainer. He also holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Science from the University of Nebraska. He has been working with people of all sorts of abilities and disabilities ever since his younger brother was diagnosed with Down syndrome and he loves to help people meet their goals!
CDC 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines
All adults should avoid inactivity. Some physical activity is better than none, and adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.
Bouts, or episodes, of aerobic activity of any duration may be included in the daily accumulated total volume of physical activity.
For important health benefits, all adults should do both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activities.
For Aerobic:
At least 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (i.e., brisk walking; wheeling oneself in a wheelchair); or
1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (i.e., jogging, wheelchair basketball); or
A mix of both moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activities each week. A rule of thumb is that 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity is about the same as 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.
For Muscle-Strengthening:
Activities that are moderate or high intensity and involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week (i.e., working with resistance bands; adapted yoga) as these activities provide additional health benefits.
Key Guidelines for Adults with Disabilities
When adults with disabilities are not able to meet the above Guidelines, they should engage in regular physical activity according to their abilities and should avoid inactivity.
Adults with disabilities should talk to their doctor about the amounts and types of physical activity that are appropriate for their abilities.
SOURCES:
Benefits of Physical Activity | Physical Activity | CDC
Increasing Physical Activity among Adults with Disabilities | CDC
Ruegsegger GN, Booth FW. Health Benefits of Exercise. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(7):a029694. Published 2018 Jul 2. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a029694
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