I find it interesting that we all worrying about 'exercise'. Up until about one hundred years ago no one 'exercised' because they didn't need to, their lives were fully active. Women kneaded and made bread daily, washed heavy loads of clothes by hand, men tilled the fields or worked down the mines, even children worked in mills, mines, sweat shops. It wasn't until the rise of the middle classes and the advent of labor-saving devices that our lives became increasingly sedentary and inactive, and we started turning to �meaningless� exercise to take the place of the strenuous activities of yore.
There is definitely much more feeing of accomplishment in digging the garden or baking bread than there is in doing aerobics, but any exercise is better than none at all. The reason we as a society are becoming obsesssed with exercise in and of itself is because of that loss of an active lifestyle. Speaking as someone with such a lifestyle, I persnally _do_ get a benefit from running and doing aerobics because it increases my strength, my endurance, and makes me feel good. But I wouldn't need to do it if I was in a vocation that gave me those same things (and hence gave meaning to my life). When it comes to occupational therapy though I would always prefer to make it meaningful. Peddling an exercise bike seems to me to be really no better than putting pegs in a board, and as OTs we don�t do that do we :-)?? I�m only a student but already I am seeing things on my shadowing that irk me. Why can�t the 76y/o woman with CVA and L hemiperesis exercise her weak arm and wrist muscles by stirring a bowl of food, or holding and cutting vegetables instead of using her left hand to put pegs in a board? That sort of exercise is meaningless and other than muscle strengthening doesn't have much benefit (to my mind, anyway). The patient doesn't see the point of it, and isn't able to appreciate her progress, whereas if the patient is able to progress from stirring cream say, to making bread, not only does she appreciate what she has accomplished but it has meaning in her daily life. So, I agree with Ron, as therapists we should be promoting occupations that include physical activity, and not just prescribing exercise per se. Sue Hossack *********��*********** Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist ** List messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] *********��***********
