Physical activity is essential for everyone to maintain a healthy body and mind. It has many health benefits, from building strong muscles and improving balance to strengthening your immune system.
It is even more necessary for people who have disabilities to engage in physical activity to enjoy the potential bodily and psychological benefits that come from it.
Let’s go over the driving factors why people with disabilities should engage in physical activity.
4 Major Reasons Why Physical Activity is Important for Those with Disability
When you move or exercise, your body produces hormones known as endorphins. These chemical substances bind to pain receptors in your brain, reducing your feeling of pain. Endorphins also generate a pleasurable sensation in the body, similar to morphine.
That explains why you feel so much better and lighter after working up a good sweat.
The importance of regular exercise cannot be stressed enough because it has so many positive implications for one’s health, especially for individuals with disabilities.
The following are some of the most compelling reasons for people with disabilities to engage in physical activity.
1. Physical Activity Helps Prevent The Onset Of Chronic Diseases
A sedentary lifestyle can complicate blood circulation, leading to high blood pressure and harmful cholesterol levels. Because of their conditions, people with impairments are more likely than others to develop long-term health problems. And since they are at risk of developing a weakened immune system, they must engage in physical activity to prevent it.
Obesity and diabetes, both of which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, can be warded off with regular physical activity.
2. Physical Activity Lowers Stress Levels
Stress affects every part of the body, including the muscles, lungs, heart, endocrine, digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems. While you can handle stress in tiny doses, it can have significant consequences for your health, especially if left untreated.
Physical activity is an excellent stress reducer. It can increase your feel-good endorphins and other natural neurochemicals that improve your mood. Moving your body and using your muscles causes the brain to produce more feel-good neurotransmitters, making you feel lighter, more confident, and more capable. And when it happens, your anxieties, tension, and discomfort fade away.
3. Physical Activity Strengthens Bones And Muscles
Every movement you make is the result of your bones and muscles working together. As you move, your bones adjust by developing new cells, making them more robust with each movement. Additionally, it inhibits the pace of bone loss and preserves bone tissue, thereby reducing the risk of fractures.
Strong bones and muscles help prevent injuries and improve balance and coordination. Thus, regular physical activity is essential for those with disabilities who may not be able to move around as much.
4. Physical Activity Reduces Disability Stigma And Negative Stereotypes
Often, stigma and discrimination are rooted in ignorance or fear. When those with disabilities engage in physical activity, impressions shift because it emphasizes their positive features and uniqueness rather than their flaws.
Seeing more people with disabilities participate in physical activity helps dispel stereotypes and breaks down social barriers. It also makes others realize that they are fully capable of performing the same actions as those carried out by those without disability.
The Function Of NDIS Physiotherapy
People with disabilities may find it harder to stay active than their non-disabled peers. Because of this, the NDIS disability support provides coverage ford physiotherapy to assist impaired people in leading regular lives.
In other words, the NDIS makes physiotherapy services available through certified NDIS providers to assist people with impairments in regaining mobility, strength, and independence.
This service can be part of your NDIS plan as core support or capacity-building.
What Exactly Is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is a form of treatment and rehabilitation that restores and enhances a person’s mobility and functionality. Unlike other medical fields, which rely on drugs and surgery to cure injuries and diseases, physiotherapy employs massage, movement, and exercise to address a specific injury or improve overall well-being. These approaches prepare your body for physical exertion and speed up bodily functions.
The NDIS collaborates with certified healthcare professionals to assist them in fulfilling the noble goal of delivering disability support services to Australians with impairments.
Professional NDIS Physiotherapy Services
When addressing the role of physiotherapy in the NDIS, remember that it is more than just a health service; it is a way of life.
Professional NDIS physiotherapy providers strive to establish a holistic approach to health and wellness. A NDIS physiotherapist will aid clients with disabilities in developing a physical activity program to increase participation, accessibility, and behavioural change.
NDIS physiotherapists can assist a person with disability to regain health and independence through the following strategies:
- Pain management
- Home exercise programs for rehabilitation
- Counselling on the management of specific disorders
- Equipment and mobility aid recommendations.
To read more: How A Physiotherapist Can Contribute To The Support Needs For A Person With Disability
NDIS physiotherapists will support you every step of the way, from obtaining the necessary assistance to planning and implementing the program, so you can live a healthier and more active life.
