Being a caregiver is an important job! You may or may not be getting paid for performing this physically and emotionally demanding job. Know that you are not alone!
Evidence shows that most caregivers are ill-prepared for their role and provide care with little or no support, and if you do not make your own health a priority, the person for whom you care will feel the impact. Emotional, mental, and physical health problems arise from complex caregiving situations and the strains of caring for frail or disabled relatives. Caregivers have higher levels of stress and depression, and this can lead to cardiovascular disease and hypertension. You also perform a physically demanding job, and can risk injury.
It may feel selfish to take time for yourself, but it is necessary in order to perform your job long term. Exercise can help address both the mental and physical stresses! By staying strong and healthy, you reduce your risk of injury while assisting with transfers or daily mobility. Ideally, it would be great to get out of the home to get a workout. We know that is not always possible, or it simply adds more work to your packed plate. We are offering a program that can be done from home!
It is also important that you encourage the person for whom you are caring to get regular exercise. Keeping them as strong and healthy as they can be will decrease your workload. Again, we understand that getting them to a gym can be cumbersome. We have various programs that you can set up and let people workout doing whatever they can do without any assistance!