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RESEARCH There can also be considerable differences in the services that are available around the country. Why not consider taking part in an online programme that can be done with the assistance of a caregiver? Would it be possible to do a program reviewwith a local physio or gym once a month, rather than committing to the weekly or fortnightly costs? Confidence and motivation Doubts, when it comes to physical exercise, are a universal experience. The process of building confidence (and capacity) begins with learning and understanding how your body moves, knowing when your better times to move are, i.e. mornings or evenings. Starting small and setting realistic targets that you can achieve are important ways to build up motivation. Find what works for you. Safety considerations Here are some factors to consider when contemplating or designing exercise programmes for people living with disabilities. • Get clearance from your GP, or medical practitioner, to start changing your regular activity. • Understand how to safely work with any equipment, e.g. setting up a machine, or ways to move in your wheelchair when doing seated exercises. • Know your limits and build up strength gradually. Building fitness and strength is a continuous and ongoing process. • It doesn’t help to go ‘all in’ at once and risk injury, or even setting the standards so high that you are less likely to return. Integrating into daily life Formal exercise is not the only way to integrate movement into your daily life. The official term is N.E.A.T. (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) which means that you don’t always need to perform formal exercise to increase stamina and improve your health. Cerebral Palsy Society Researcher and Member Support Advisor Amy Hogan takes every opportunity she can to exercise. IMPORTANT NOTICE Funding for the current round of Cerebral Palsy Society’s getProgramme expires on June 30, 2022. Any funds left on your card at midnight on this date will be removed. The Cerebral Palsy Society’s Executive Board will set the details for the next funding round at the end of June. We will let members know via email, our website and social media. getProgramme funding, accessed via a member’s e-Card, applies to the getOutThere, getPhysical, getThis&That and getUpAgain programmes. To check your balance, go to https://ecardsolutions.nz/portal/cps/ or check your last receipt. For more information, email cpsociety@cpsociety.org.nz, or phone 0800 503 603. In fact, in many cases, your overall ‘incidental’ activity can play a bigger role in health than higher intensity ‘huff and puff’ workouts. As well as this, people with CP can use up to twice as much energy as people without CP to walk. Performing any activity as part of daily life can therefore be considered intense exercise for people with CP. This fact is particularly important for people living with Level IV and V CP. Reducing, and breaking up the length of time spent in sedentary behaviour, by replacing it with light movements or activity for example, is an effective approach to movement. MAY–AUG 2022 THE REVIEW | 17