Physiotherapy for Weight Management

What Is Obesity?

Weight management is vital in achieving and improving your sense of body confidence, as well as greater overall health and wellness. Obesity can develop if weight is not controlled. Obesity is a chronic disease in which a person's health is harmed by excess body fat. Obesity puts a person at a higher risk of developing chronic illnesses. High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, and some malignancies are among them. Obesity can make it difficult for a person to work and do simple physical activities. It is connected to a lower quality of life and an increased chance of dying early. Obesity is a global problem. It has an impact on people of all ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

What Causes Weight Gain?

The causes include:

• Diet: The amount and quality of food you eat have a significant impact on your weight.

• Genes: Some people are predisposed to gain weight more easily than others or to accumulate fat around the waist due to genetic factors. However, eating a good diet, being active, and avoiding harmful behaviors like drinking soda can help to reduce the genetic tendency to fat.

• Physical Inactivity: Exercising provides numerous health benefits, including lowering the risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer, and other chronic conditions. Physical activity is an important part of weight management and overall health.

• Sleep: There is a relationship between sleep duration and weight, according to research. Children and adults who sleep insufficiently and less weigh more than those who sleep enough.

Why Is Weight Management Important?

The importance of weight management is related to a variety of factors. Some of them include mental, emotional, and the majority are physical. An unhealthy weight will have a detrimental and worsening impact on every element of your life. Being overweight has a negative impact on your confidence, emotions, self-esteem, mental health, and physical health. Weight loss improves the quality of your life and all aspects and domains of your wellbeing, not just your appearance and beauty.

How Does Physiotherapy Help in Weight Management?

One of the most common misconceptions about physiotherapy is that it can only assist people in recovering from injuries or treat problems like stiff necks and legs. However, physiotherapy provides benefits that are much more than that. Physiotherapy can treat you holistically, improve well-being, and eliminate difficulties that may arise.

Physical therapy helps people move more freely. Physical therapy focuses on increasing and improving mobility as well as restoring functionality in stiff, painful muscles and tendons. There is certain to be a substantial improvement in your mobility levels when you restore function or learn how to exercise the same muscles better, which goes a long way toward helping you attain your fitness goals.

Physical therapists also work for those on a strict weight-loss mission by devising individual activity plans, advising diet plans, strategizing movements or exercises which help the patient meet the goal, and following a strict regime, all in a manner that is achievable and easy to follow.

Physiotherapy is a workable option that provides a strict diet and fitness plan and regular physical movement. Physiotherapy is proven to help slim down, fight off excess weight, and be on track with your fitness goals.

What Are the Exercise Recommendations for Weight Management?

To avoid weight gain, boost weight loss, and improve fitness, a minimum of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week or 75 to 150 minutes of strenuous physical activity per week is required. Individuals who want to reduce weight should engage in at least 200 to 300 minutes of moderate to intense physical exercise each week to achieve long-term weight loss.

• Inactive people should start low and go slow, which means beginning with lower-intensity activities and gradually increasing the frequency and length of the exercise.

• Spreading out aerobic activity across the week, rather than doing it all in one day, is a smart idea.

• Make use of the proper gear and sporting equipment, and select safe environments.

• Adjust workouts as needed to reduce orthopedic risk or if you are unable to walk. If an individual has arthritis, this can incorporate cycling or hydrotherapy instead of jogging. The exercise requirements still apply whether people are unable to walk or must alter their exercise due to unusual circumstances. However, the patient can get inventive in order to achieve goals, such as by using more mobile limbs.

• Anaerobic training can be done and can even help you gain muscle growth. Anaerobic exercise has not been found to change energy expenditure or weight reduction in absolute terms. However, if the patient's goal is to gain muscular mass, anaerobic exercise is highly recommended. Furthermore, each muscle group should be exercised at least ten times per week to enhance muscular mass, with one set consisting of 8 to 10 repetitions. To avoid injuries, be sure you're using good form. Individuals who are unable to walk, run, or have restricted mobility can nevertheless engage in anaerobic activity. Individuals must maintain good form, although they can adapt activities as needed, such as doing simple upper body or lower body exercises, using a neutral grip, and keeping stable movements.

How to Prevent Obesity With the Help of Physiotherapy?

With the present prevalence of obesity, there is a greater need for coordinated weight control strategies that are integrated and person-centered.

The following results are projected to improve as a result of this quality standard approach:

• Excess weight in adults.

• Prevalence of obesity‑related comorbidities.

• Physical activity.

• Time spent being inactive or sedentary.

• Dietary habits.

• Mental well-being.

• Health‑related quality of life.

Physiotherapists have a role to play in the prevention and management of obesity since exercise and mobility are at the core of their work.

An obese patient's treatment approach could include:

• Individualized lifestyle advice based on a person's attitudes, beliefs, circumstances, cultural and societal preferences, and willingness to change.

• Prescription, supervision, and progression of suitable physical exercise to improve muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance, as well as maintain energy output, in order to enhance and maintain weight loss in a safe and controlled environment.

• Management of related ailments like arthritis, back pain, and other musculoskeletal and chronic illnesses like heart disease.

• Collaboration with service users, other health and social care experts, and community services to develop comprehensive and long-term management strategies.

Conclusion:

Physical therapists are experts in movement. Through hands-on care, patient education, and recommendation exercise, they help to improve quality of life. You can schedule and book an appointment with a physical therapist for an evaluation and follow their advice on healthy eating and exercise to maintain your weight and health. Physical activity can improve physical and mental health at any age. It can also assist obese persons in becoming healthier.