Would you prefer in-home physical therapy over going to a clinic? No Limit Physical Therapy is proud to offer in-home therapy services to any patient who isn’t able to leave their home, doesn’t have a reliable form of transportation, or would simply prefer working out of the comfort of their own home!
Our at-home physical therapists excel at determining the underlying cause of your aches and pains. We know how to interpret the cues your body gives us to determine the best path to resolution. We will come to you and provide you with the care you deserve!
Our therapists can also give you exercises to complete in between treatments to further accelerate your recovery. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the exercises and devices that make in-home PT even more effective!
At-home exercises to try
What are you working on during your at-home physical therapy sessions? If you’re like a vast majority of people, you may be attempting to strengthen your balance.
Balance training is an essential and effective component of fall prevention. Safe home exercises can help strengthen your lower body, promote balance, and lower your overall risk of falling, among other health benefits. Physical activity, including exercise, reduces falls in older adults by 13% to 40%, according to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
A physical therapist can assess your balance and recommend exercises tailored to your needs that you can do at home in between sessions. Here are some exercises that your therapist may recommend.
1. March in Place
Begin marching in place for 20-30 seconds while standing near a sturdy support. As this becomes easier, your physical therapist may challenge your balance and change the pace and surface you march on, such as hardwood to carpet, foam pad, grass, and so on.
2. 3-Way Standing Kicks
Slowly raise your other leg out in front of you while standing on one leg (with an unlocked knee). Return your extended leg to the center as straight as possible. Then, with the same leg, gently lift it out to the side and back down, and then extend it behind your body and back down. Perform as many as you can in each direction. Your physical therapist may make this exercise more difficult by removing the supporting surface.
3. Stand to Sit and Sit to Stand
Get out of a chair without using your arms to push yourself up. If this is too challenging, put a firm pad on the chair seat underneath you. Return to a seated position by gradually lowering yourself all the way back down and easing into your seat (rather than dropping into the chair). Perform as many times as possible.
Equipment that can speed along your recovery
Physical therapy equipment is used to aid recovery, improve mobility, strength, and overall health. While participating in one or more physical therapy sessions per week is certainly beneficial, you may still need to do extra training between sessions to reach your goals. You may consider investing in the following physical therapy tools to assist you in recovering as quickly and fully as possible.
1. Exercise Balls
Exercise balls are extremely popular physical therapy tools with numerous benefits. They are excellent for stretching, muscle strengthening, posture improvement, and preventing back pain. Exercise balls are frequently used to target balance, joint stability, and core recruitment due to their shape and inflatable design.
2. Balance Pads
Balance pads aid in the improvement of balance and stability during strength exercises and dynamic movements. These pads, which are typically made of dense foam, create an unstable surface.
As the surface responds to your movement, you are forced to engage more muscles in your body to stabilize yourself. It is critical that the balance pad be placed in a location on the floor where it cannot slip out from under you. Make sure you’re near a sturdy surface while using a balance pad, such as a wall or a countertop, so you can steady yourself safely.
3. Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are another inexpensive and effective physical therapy tool that can be used easily at home. They have many advantages whether you want a challenge, need to stretch, or are doing a full workout.
Even a set of lightweight resistance bands can add a new difficulty level to an exercise, which is necessary to maintain strength gains.
Contact No Limit Physical Therapy today!
Our physical therapists at No Limit Physical Therapy in San Diego are experts in treating all musculoskeletal injuries. Our team can also make skilled recommendations on devices and exercises that can help accelerate your PT treatment.
Call us today to schedule an appointment with one of our at-home physical therapists and learn more about what you can do in between sessions.