Watching the Olympics, and seeing athletes in peak physical condition, can help folks re-establish or jump start their own exercise routines, a D.C.-area physical therapist says.
鈥淲hatever current addictive streaming TV show you’re watching — and most of us are watching something — that could be your exercise time,鈥� said , a physical therapist at the .
Cohen said it鈥檚 helpful if exercise isn鈥檛 something people have to find time to do as a brand new habit.
鈥淛ust tie it to something you’re going to do anyway. And that’s a good way to anchor it into some kind of habit you’ve got. And since it’s winter, a lot of us are definitely watching TV and being indoors,鈥� Cohen said.
During summer, people can get exercise practically by accident, but staying active inside can be easier than you might think. Cohen recommends something he鈥檚 named the 鈥渟it-to-stand challenge.鈥�
It doesn鈥檛 take much of a time commitment and only involves standing up and sitting down repeatedly, which targets the quads, glutes and core.
鈥淭en to 20 sit-to-stands out of a chair shouldn’t take you more than two or three minutes,鈥� he said.
Cohen recommends starting with 10 and then building up one by one as it gets easier; set reminders on your phone or with an app to do the routine multiple times a day.
鈥淚f you’re standing up and sitting down out of a chair five times a day, once you get to 20 you’re doing 100 squats a day; you didn’t even notice it,鈥� he said.
Cohen said he typically sees a rush of clients in the weeks following snow storms. That’s because shoveling snow can involve aggressive lifting, squatting and twisting, and heavy weight going through a body鈥檚 core.
鈥淚 always just say, 鈥楻emember that movement is medicine.鈥� Even 10 to 15 minutes a day can save you a lot of grief down the road,鈥� Cohen said. He added that people who are looking to be more active can find lots great content online. Whether it鈥檚 on YouTube or TikTok, the key is to know what you’re looking for and typing in terms such as, for example, gentle core, proper form for lifting or lifting form.
鈥淎nd you’ll find all sorts of people that are helping you get a better idea of how to avoid pain,鈥� Cohen said. 鈥淎nd as always, listen to your body — if it hurts, stop.鈥�
