A Border physiotherapist who adapts his physical activity around vision impairment wants to help others to explore exercise.
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Dan Searle will give a free motivational talk Activate Your Movement Mindset on Monday, November 12 aimed at both novice and expert sportspeople.
“The idea of going to a gym or a structured pilates or yoga class can be quite intimidating if it’s not something you’ve done before,” he said.
“You can be quite conscious of the way you move or how you look.
“I think it’s equally easy to find excuses not to do things, like, if you’ve hurt your foot, then you go, ‘Oh, I can’t do any exercise’.
“But, you know, from my perspective there’s always something else we can do or some other way we can do it.”
Mr Searle lost much of his sight at 16 owing to a rare genetic condition but continued to pursue sports like cricket and triathlon and has represented Australia.
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He has previously given talks about how he manages work, study and everyday life with the help of adaptive technology and his guide dog.
“I’m really excited to do something in relating that back to physio and how my vision impairment changes the way I move and exercise and things like that,” he said.
“Hopefully help other people, give them ideas to motivate them about exercise and the benefits of that.
“That’s something I really enjoy, having to think a bit outside the box and thinking ‘Oh well, this person doesn’t have access to a gym, but what can they do at home or what do they enjoy doing?’.”
Mr Searle’s talk will be held in the studio of Inspire Health, 663 Pemberton Street, Albury, where he began working recently.
Inspire Health started in August as an integrated practice offering physiotherapy, osteopathy and remedial massages.
Principal osteopath and managing director Thanuja Vanderhoek said the business aimed to be “a one-stop shop for manual therapy”.
“We can go, ‘The biomechanics are really good now, let’s get you to go and see the physio and strengthen, because that’s their domain’,” she said.
Monday’s event begins at 7.30pm and will also be streamed live on Facebook.
“However you’ll get the most benefit being there because you’ll have interaction with Dan,” Dr Vanderhoek said.
“When you’re exposed to that, you have that motivation of, ‘Well, Dan can do this with a vision impairment, what’s my excuse?’.”
Go to inspirehealthalbury.com.au for bookings or visit the Inspire Health Albury Facebook page.
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