Physical activity with disability: goals and individual guidance
The Miracle Pill Called Exercise: The best thing you can do for your health
By Joe · Originally published 8 August 2018
Start with what you want activity to help you do
Discuss an activity you enjoy or a task you want to make easier. Tell the practitioner about pain, fatigue, access barriers and relevant health advice so the approach can be adapted. Your starting point should not be compared with the examples in a general article.
Current movement recommendations include starting gradually and seeking professional help where needed. An exercise physiology provider can discuss an individual program within its role. Confirm suitability and any funding arrangements; ordinary sport or gym expenses are not automatically funded therapy.
Original article and dated context
Joe works for Road to Recovery Exercise Physiology, a mobile exercise service that allows you to exercise in the comfort of your own home. For information on how exercise can benefit you and improve your well-being, contact Road to Recovery on 0468 654 588 or [email protected].
Health is a hot topic of late, with everyone becoming more and more health conscious. This has lead to the media becoming saturated with the newest drug or product that can ‘change your life’ and ‘improve your health’, leaving everyone overwhelmed. So what’s the best thing you can actually do to improve your health?
Let’s get the first thing straight: there is no magic drug, product or secret, but there is something that you can do everyday that will improve your health.
If you haven’t guessed already, it’s EXERCISE! Exercising regularly is one of the best things you can do for your health. Exercise has endless benefits such as;
Increased muscle mass, strength and endurance
Increased flexibility and mobility
Increased heart health (helps to lower blood pressure and workload on the heart, as well as increases the body’s ability to use oxygen)
Increased Energy
Decreased Depression and Anxiety
Decreased risk of chronic disease; such as Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Aids with weight management
Increased quality of life
Just to name a few!
Studies have shown that exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms in knee arthritis patients by 47%, dementia and Alzheimer’s by 50%, diabetes by 58%, anxiety by 48% and depression by 30%, and is the number one treatment for fatigue.
[Clickability update, October 2026: The listed percentages are unsupported in the source export and are not personal outcome predictions. Use current Australian movement guidance and individual clinical advice instead of treating those numbers as established treatment effects.]
Studies have also shown that replacing sedentary time with just 10 minutes of either moderate- or vigorous-intensity activity each day is linked to a 38% reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, while 30 minutes per day was linked to a 77% reduction, and have even gone as far as to associate poor levels of fitness with negative lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
[Clickability update, October 2026: The numerical mortality claims lack an identified source here. They should not be repeated as a proven result for an individual or used to prescribe activity.]
So, when you look back at your day, I want you to think about how much of it is spent being sedentary, whether it be at work, commuting or even sleeping? For a lot of us, the answer is pretty much all day. But just because you have a busy schedule, or are injured or require a wheelchair, it doesn’t mean you can’t lead a healthy life. Making time for 30 minutes of activity throughout your day can make an incredible difference in the way you feel and in your health overall.
Exercise is extremely diverse and can be incorporated into everyone’s lifestyle, even if you just begin by walking the length of your home’s hallway several times a day, doing some seated marching, balance exercises while the kettle boils, or even going for a walk during your lunch. The idea is to accumulate more activity over the course of your day and do what you can to get yourself moving.
It is imperative to note that you should consult your doctor before undertaking any structured exercise program. Exercise can be fun, so be sure to incorporate activities that you enjoy and make it social. Exercise classes, golf clubs, bowls and tennis clubs are a great way to make new friends and get involved in your local community. So get yourself moving. It takes less than 2% of your day to reap the endless health benefits of the best kind of medicine: exercise.
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Describe realistic goals instead of universal outcomes
Ask about the participant’s preferences and barriers, then explain how the service will be adapted and reviewed. Distinguish general public-health information from the clinical advice you are qualified to provide. Do not reuse unsupported percentages as marketing claims.
Use NDIA therapy guidance when discussing funding and movement recommendations for general context. Explain the service, qualifications and proposed goals clearly. A person’s wheelchair use or fatigue does not determine a single exercise prescription.
Questions readers ask
Do the old percentages predict an individual benefit?
No. The export does not identify supporting studies and they are not personal predictions.
Are general movement recommendations an individual treatment plan?
