EXERCISE RIGHT WEEK 2021 | 24-30 MAY

Exercise Right Week is an annual awareness campaign held in the last full week of May every year. Since it’s inception in 2014, the campaign has aimed to highlight the benefits of exercise for health and well-being, and to help Australians to understand where to get the “right” advice for their individual needs.

The campaign is brought to you by Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA). ESSA is the peak body for exercise and sports science professionals in Australia, and is dedicated to helping Australians live healthier and more active lives.

Altaira believe exercise for the health and well being throughout the aged care sector, is imperative. Engaging a physiotherapist is often the best solution to encourage this at a level which is safe and tailored to individual residents. To help meet the needs of our community, Altaira now offer physiotherapists throughout the aged care and community sector.

Benefits of Exercise

Current Australian guidelines recommend between 2.5 – 5 hours of moderately intensive physical activity per week, which roughly equates to 30 – 45 minutes per day. Doing any amount of physical activity is better than doing none at all, and it is recommended to engage in some form of physical exercise most days of the week. Examples of moderately intensive exercise include brisk walking, swimming and gym-based exercises or exercise classes.

Physical activity has multiple benefits for physical, social, and mental health. These include:

• Positive mental wellbeing, with proven effectiveness in helping to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Improves cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular health
• Boost’s self-esteem and confidence, and assists in engaging in a healthy social life
• Walking for as little as 30 minutes per day has demonstrated improvements in long-term chronic pain in all areas of the body
• Helps maintain strength and balance to reduce falls in the elderly population
• Reduces risk of developing several cancers and Alzheimer’s disease in later life
• Decreases risk of developing modern Western lifestyle diseases like type II diabetes and high blood pressure
• Increases muscle, bone, and joint strength, and helps to maintain a healthy weight