At the time of coronavirus everything must adapt, everything can also find new living spaces, new methodologies and even some excellent ideas for the future. This is the case with physical activity, and specifically with a series of simple physiotherapy exercises that can be very useful for an infinite series of situations. Let's think of those who unfortunately have returned from a hospitalization of a certain importance, perhaps precisely because of the coronavirus. But let's also think of the elderly person who risks falling dangerously into semi-immobile precisely because he is losing the habit of physical exercise. The counter-moves are possible, necessary and fortunately not difficult to practice. Let's take a concrete example, but the scenario we refer to can be adapted to a thousand different situations.
The example is that of an elderly person who from a situation of satisfactory mobility is plunged into hospitalization for a few weeks and has to "get back on track". He has to do it carefully, with help or at least the advice from a professional that in times of coronavirus it is good that you limit physical contact as much as possible, also to provide him with all the elements that will allow him to practice a progressive series of exercises even independently, once he returns home.
Password: rebalancing
This applies to the elderly, but also to the young recovering from an illness who must regain, with due prudence, a minimum level of motor capacity and then gradually increase their physical commitment. Or even for a particularly sedentary person who has decided to treat their body more correctly (and consequently - as the specialists point out - their mind). Physiotherapy, especially in the time of the coronavirus and even "remotely", can really be useful to all. With some dutiful warnings: be careful when doing do-it-yourself, limiting the activity without the assistance of a professional to the exercises agreed with the latter, in the exact type and exact measure, perhaps comparing all this with your doctor of family to verify that there are no contraindications or pathologies which, instead of helping us, could create problems.
"There may be absolute contraindications, but the most delicate task of the specialist - underlines Dr. Giuseppe Quaglia, Director of the Cottolengo Complex Rehabilitation Structure in Turin - is to detect and interpret the warnings which can then be adapted to the subject's activity performing the movement". Also because “having a contact person – adds Giuseppe Quaglia – allows you to correct execution defects of the gesture that are found more often than is commonly believed”.
Let's start like this
In this tutorial we offer you a video sequence which can therefore serve as orientation, of course from check carefully on the basis of the warnings we have just submitted to you. The video was made on the basis of the advice and indications of three professionals who act as "demonstrators": Laura La Cava, physiotherapist; Fabrizio Testa, osteopath and physiotherapist; Sergio Testa, osteopath. It is they who demonstrate and explain, directly in the video, the progression and benefits of the exercises that can be practiced once or even more times during the day, also agreeing this aspect with the doctor to whom (we repeat it once again) you will ask for personalized indications .
The exercises and stimuli for physical activity suggested in our video go well with the indications that the specialists offer us, especially for the difficult moments of forced isolation, imitation of personal contacts and objective obstacles to mobility. Precisely on these occasions "in which the environmental situations are changing - underlines Fabrizio Testa - to try to rebalance our psychophysical system, a well-calibrated series of exercises helps us to minimize the effect of stress on our organism and our mind”.
Six goals
Slow, gradual, low-impact movements that meet the guiding criteria indicated by specialists to simultaneously achieve six objectives: growth of muscle strength and elasticity, improvement of the sense of psychophysical balance, increase in joint mobility, major coordination movement, enhancement of breathing, improvement of posture. It applies to everyone, especially to older people. It has been scientifically proven that a person of a certain age who practices constant physical exercise, even aerobic if the referring doctor has no objections, maintains longer not only his physical integrity thanks to the immense power of gymnastic activity to maintain both muscle tone that a good level of bone density helps prevent or a slow down osteoporosis senile, but also to preserve cognitive abilities.
It is worth remembering that the WHO itself, the World Health Organization, deems it essential for an elderly person to maintain a minimum level of physical activity: those over 65 should perform at least 150 minutes a week of possibly aerobic physical activity of moderate intensity, when possible and permitted by the referring doctor. Yoga, long walks, light running but also Pilates, stretching, water biking, dancing. Your doctor or physiotherapist will help you create the most suitable mix for you, calibrating the activities in any case with respect to your physical condition, your neuromotor characteristics and any pathologies you may have.
