Exercise – Prescribing the Right Program and Coaching for Results
Some healthcare providers offer only two answers regarding exercises and activities
- You can’t do anything
- You can do whatever you want
What about the 98% that falls in between these two extreme and opposite recommendations?
You wouldn’t want to take a prescribed medication without a prescription. Even with over the counter medications, you have to be careful what you take. It might help you, but it also might harm you.
The same applies to exercise prescription. Fortunately, the most negative side effects are not life-threatening.
But prescribing the wrong exercise or doing the exercise with poor technique due, incorrect parameters (frequency, duration, intensity), or inadequate recovery (rest) can all lead to poor outcomes. This is why it is so critical that an exercise program includes proper coaching for results.
Skilled exercise prescription is one of the most undervalued aspects of rehabilitation. Unfortunately, many clinicians (physicians, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, chiropractors, athletic therapists, massage therapists) do not have strong exercise prescription skills. At the same time, personal trainers at gyms are not clinicians. They have little to no training in musculoskeletal injury assessment and are not qualified to provide a diagnosis. Some are highly skilled, and some are not.
Fortunately, an increasing number of healthcare professionals including physiotherapists recognize the critical connection between prescribing the right exercise program and coaching their clients to achieve desired results.
Whether you a looking to get back to doing the activities you love or simply restoring overall health and wellness, look for a physiotherapist that can prescribe you the right exercise recommendations to get you back on track. And ensure they take the time to ensure you understand your exercise prescription – including the proper technique, frequency and intensity needed to achieve the results you want.