Being a San Diego caregiver can be demanding on many levels: mentally and physically. Staying fit can help with your caregiving duties including helping a loved one in and out of a bed, or pushing and pulling someone in a wheelchair.  Anyone who’s helped a seriously ill or chronically ill patient to a doctor’s appointment can understand the need to be balanced, and strong enough, to transport them to and from the doctor’s office, or simply assisting in walking from point A to point B.

Staying fit may mean different things for different people.  Functional fitness can play a part in a San Diego caregiver’s health and wellness. Functional fitness is generally defined as training for your fitness level for your own real life situations. Training might involve things like walking, pulling or pushing objects, squatting, and learning to lift with your legs and a stable back. Training for functional fitness will serve you and others in daily living.

Before beginning any kind of exercise or fitness program, consult with your physician and be aware of your own health situation. Understand that staying fit to help with your caregiving duties can be as simple as maintaining a consistent exercise plan, eating right and getting enough rest. Perhaps incorporating elements of functional fitness and the practical usefulness of your exercises can provide physical, emotional and psychological benefits for you. Studies have shown that fitness and exercise have been known to help ward off depression for some, improve sleep, and promote more personal energy - all of which can help make you strong enough to accomplish your caregiving duties.

Tim Chan is an avid fitness and auto enthusiast and has worked with San Diego Hospice for more than seven years.