Midwestern University Experts Provide Exercise Plans and Tips for Overall Health

Adults should incorporate 150 minutes a week of exercise for their health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some of the benefits of implementing physical activity include stronger muscles and bones, higher performance of daily activities, better quality of sleep, reduction of high blood pressure, and a reduction risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis pain, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, and several kinds of cancer, according to the CDC. However, with busy schedules and the demands of everyday life, it is not always easy to begin an exercise routine. In order to aid with the process, Mark Kargela, D.P.T., Clinical Assistant Professor at Midwestern University’s Physical Therapy (PT) Institute in Glendale, AZ, and Thomas Dillon, D.P.T., Clinical Assistant Professor at the PT Institute in Downers Grove, IL, offered advice and tips to get started as part of an online webinar series featuring PT clinical faculty. 

The physical therapists advised people to choose the types of exercises they enjoy and to begin their regimen by setting a short-term routine. Dr. Kargela said, “I enjoy making exercise something that's fun and fits in somebody's life.” Dr. Dillon advised people not to choose an exercise they do not like to attain certain benefits. “There’s a variety of machines and exercises to get you a similar outcome,” he said. 

Dr. Dillon added, “If you’re consistent for four to six weeks it becomes a little bit easier to keep that ball rolling in your daily life.” However, if a person stops their exercise routine for a week, then it can take another several weeks to resume the routine, which is a challenge in itself, Dr. Dillon said. Prior to beginning an exercise routine, Drs. Dillon and Kargela advised patients with any cardiovascular issues or other pre-existing conditions to check with their doctor.

“One of the phrases I love to hear is exercise is medicine. I feel as healthcare professionals we are working our way towards embracing that and how movement in exercise is incredibly beneficial,” Dr. Dillon said. He added that some of the benefits of exercise include blood pumping more efficiently, easier breathing, improved posture and balance, and decreasing the risk of a fall, especially for the elderly community. 

The doctors also discussed the benefits of exercise for mental health. “You may be providing someone with a social interaction,” Dr. Dillon said, adding exercising with friends in a gym or a fitness class with a group of people sharing a common goal are ways to socialize, which in turn benefits the whole person. Dr. Kargela added that he manages stress through exercise. “I feel much sharper and more focused, and much more able to kind of adapt and adjust to some of the stressors in life.”

Some barriers to exercise include time and cost of a gym membership.  Sometimes if people are experiencing pain, it can hamper someone’s ability to exercise, the doctors said. Dr. Dillon shared, “We encourage movement because we know the benefits of it. There are ways to help someone understand that not every stimulus our body receives belongs in the pain bucket. If we could get better at describing and understanding why the pain or discomfort exists, that’ll help guide us.” Dr. Kargela added, “We try to prepare patients as much as possible when we start embarking on exercise. Our approach will hopefully strip some of the beliefs that it has to be some heavy, high-intensity exercise.” He added that exercise should fit the lifestyle and people can begin with light squatting and getting out of a chair. Dr. Kargela stated joints can be sensitive due to weakness building up over time and the tissues can be initially sore when adapting to new stimulation, and people should be careful not to cause damage. The struggle people have is finding the entry point to movement,” Dr. Kargela said and added patients sometimes experience stiff and sore joints when they first wake up or are sitting for a long period of time, but they realize that the more they move, the better they feel. “One of the things we find out with patients when they’re starting an exercise program is what are their goals and then we start to build a process to get patients to those goals. Some of the mistakes people make is to try and do too much too soon and either have a soreness response or strain or sprain something.” As a result, if the patient overdoes exercise, they might decide that exercise is not for them, or they are unable to exercise. “Hopefully taking on a nuanced smart, slow, and steady approach can help them gain that success early on and carry it over the long term,” Dr. Kargela said.

In addition to assisting patients with the appropriate exercise regimen, the physical therapists have additional videos offering advice, such as with arthritis or spinal issues. The Physical Therapy Institutes in Downers Grove and Glendale offer specialty programs to assist patients with a variety of mobility conditions. Students interested in pursuing a career in physical therapy can learn more about the programs in Downers Grove or Glendale.