Transitioning to civilian life through movement.

Exercise physiologists at the Mates4Mates Townsville Family Recovery Centre are supporting soldiers at the Lavarack Barracks with their transition into civilian life through physical rehabilitation.

It can be very common for servicemen and women to hold a “push through to get the job done” mentality firmly in their minds. While this may be seen as necessary for their role in the military, after transitioning, this can lead to increased injuries and create fear avoidance behaviours as they age.

Starting to un-learn this behaviour prior to transitioning can help support the process of re-entering civilian life safely, particularly if the soldier has an injury – this is what Mates4Mates aims to achieve with their four-week Solider Recovery Program led by exercise physiologists.

Running multiple times through the year, the Solider Recovery Program includes:

• Introductory physical education workshops

• Explain Pain workshops

• Static/dynamic stretching workshops

• Pilates classes

• Yoga classes

• Hydrotherapy classes

• Group physical training (PT) sessions

At the Townsville Family Recovery Centre, exercise physiologists Aric Visentin and Cathy Rowe are working with soldiers to increase their confidence in overcoming barriers associated with their transition through exercise and movement.

Instead of trying to push through pain and injury or saying, “I can’t do this”, it becomes a question of how they can modify their new lifestyle for meaningful movement, taking into account the psychological and social aspects of pain, not just the physical.

Soldiers within the recovery program have shared how it has allowed them to put their health first and feel encouraged to ask questions and engage in discussions to further their learnings.

“By breaking down the perceptions of Defence versus civilian mindsets to exercise, you can see soldiers begin to branch out of their movement comfort zones, all of which is preparing them for their future outside of the military,” Cathy said.

The Soldier Recovery Program is offered in both Townsville at the Lavarack Barracks and in Brisbane at the Gallipoli Barracks. To find out more, contact Mates4Mates on 1300 4 MATES.