Exercising safely for knee and hip pain
Defence Force training, exercises and deployment can place significant strain on some veterans’ lower body, leading to the development of knee and hip pain.
What if?
02 December 2020
What if health and fitness wasn’t about how you looked, or a number on a scale? What if we changed our language? What if instead of saying “you’ve lost weight”, or “you look skinny”, we said – “you seem happy”, “you look healthy”, “I’m loving your confidence”.
What if we stopped commenting on other people’s appearance and stopped being so critical of our own? What if we moved and rested and ate to nourish our mind, body and soul?
What if we took the pressure off? What if we just lived without restriction, criticism, and the goal to be perfect. What if we just focused on us and stopped comparing ourselves to others, setting unrealistic goals and expectations.
Often, we think that these practices are healthy, but it some cases they can be one of reasons we’re not reaching our goals and could, in fact, be holding us back. If this sounds familiar, try implementing the following tips and change the script, as well as your health and fitness outcomes.
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Set non-aesthetic goals and ditch the scales. Instead, set a healthy routine, improve your time, distance, or weights selection. Aim to be better, not look better.
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Eat wholefoods, drink plenty of water, and don’t count calories.
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Treat rest just as importantly as you do your workouts.
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Adjust your intensity depending on the day – low intensity is better than no movement at all.
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Prioritise self-care over everything else. What makes you feel good? Fulfilled? Content? Do these things every day.
What if these simple tips made a difference?
What if.
Please contact Mates4Mates if you require support on healthy goal setting and tips on moving forward both mentally and physically.
Written by Mates4Mates Exercise Physiologist, Lauren Kelly
