Maintaining a healthy weight can have a significant impact on your overall health and wellbeing. That is why it is important to find ways that work well for you to meet your weight goals and requirements. However, sometimes that feels easier said than done.
If you are dealing with underlying issues such as back pain, endocrine disorders, or arthritis, managing your weight can seem like an overwhelming and impossible task. Taking steps to improve these factors has the potential to positively impact your weight and help you to reach your goals. Physiotherapy can be a great way to target these issues and find ways to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight in conjunction with the help of an experienced and qualified professional.
Are you having trouble reaching or maintaining a healthy weight? Physiotherapy may provide you with the strategies and treatment that may help you towards your target outcomes. Read on to learn more about how physiotherapy may be able to help you.
Why is Weight Management Important?
Being over or under weight can impact your body in countless ways. Many factors can lead to being over or underweight, and in many cases, they can be hard to counter alone. Some factors behind weight issues may include aspects such as chronic health conditions, genetics, financial restrictions, mental health issues, social pressures, access to a balanced diet, and lack of relevant education.
Maintaining a healthy weight for your gender and height can have a positive impact on various areas of your life. Some of these may include:
- Prevention of health conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, malnutrition, osteoporosis, infections, and sleep apnoea.
- Joint health.
- Posture.
- Mental health.
- Engagement with what is important to you, such as family, sports, and work.
- Sexual health.
- Relationships.
- Fertility and pregnancy.
- Surgical recovery and wound healing.
Physiotherapy for Weight Management
The advantageous of physiotherapy for weight management can be said to come down to two areas: treating and supporting underlying issues that impact weight gain or loss and targeting weight loss or gain through physiotherapy techniques and strategies.
Underlying Health Issues
Many issues can cause or contribute to an unhealthy weight. And in a catch twenty-two situation, once an unhealthy weight is reached, there can be a vicious circle effect back onto the underlying issue. For example, arthritis may hinder a person’s ability to go for walks or workout, which may lead to weight gain. Carrying excess weight then can then add to the pressure to the affected joints, making the pain and reduced mobility even worse and meaning the person’s ability to walk and workout is diminished further.
Physiotherapy can target certain issues to prevent or improve this situation. After gaining an extensive medical history and performing a physical assessment, your physiotherapist can develop a healthcare plan that focuses on contributing factors. This may include physiotherapy techniques and strategies such as:
- Massage.
- Joint manipulation and mobilisation.
- Exercise prescription for cardiovascular health, strength, mobility, and flexibility.
- Stretching.
- Education regarding factors such as posture, injury prevention, and movement.
- Footwear guidance.
Techniques Specific to Weight Loss or Gain
If you have reached an unhealthy weight, you may have tried many approaches to weight loss or weight gain to varying levels of success. Or perhaps you do not know where to start and you feel overwhelmed. It can be a difficult, multifaceted process, and we understand if you feel like it is too hard. That is where we come in. We can help you to find strategies that can help you work towards a healthy weight and support you towards your goals.
Physiotherapy for weight loss or weight gain takes a holistic approach and incorporates many factors. We will discuss with you your relevant medical history, perform a physical assessment, listen to your target outcomes and help you identify and develop appropriate goals, and support you throughout the process. Your personalised healthcare plan may involve physiotherapy techniques and strategies such as:
- Exercise prescription for cardiovascular health, strength, mobility, and flexibility.
- Working in conjunction with your nutritionist or dietician to promote a suitable dietary plan.
- Regular progress reviews and plan adjustments.
- Education regarding physical health, exercise requirements, the importance of movement, and injury prevention.
Receive Comprehensive Support for Weight Management
If you are finding it difficult to reach and maintain a healthy weight, you do not need to face it alone. Our physiotherapists are highly experienced and qualified to deliver high-quality care and guidance that can help you work towards reaching your goals. To find out how physiotherapy may help you and to organise an initial consultation, please contact our friendly team. We look forward to supporting you.
