When you are are all done with your physical therapy sessions and feeling great, it is easy to fall back into old routines and forget to do some of the exercises that your Physical Therapist may have recommended. Here are 5 great tips for helping you continue to with your home exercise program (HEP) once you are at home on your own!
Tip #1
Build the exercises into your workout. You can use some of them as a warm-up or a cool down. Any stretches the PT has given you can be done at the end of your workout.
Tip #2
Make it a routine. Make sure you do your HEP at the same time everyday. Just like anything else you look to make a healthy habit, having it become part of your daily schedule will make it hard to forget to do.
Tip #3
Set reminders. Use an alarm, post-it notes or a reminder app on your phone. You may already use these things to help remind you to take a medication, make it to meetings or appointments on time, so why not use them to help you keep your body feeling great with a little reminder to do your HEP?
Tip #4
Don’t stop when the pain stops! These exercises are just as much preventative as they are rehabilitative, so even if you feel and move well, you need to keep up with your HEP to keep feeling that way. If you stop your exercises you are likely to let your body fall back into a state of dysfunctional movement or weakness that will bring the pain back.
Tip #5
Sign up with a Wellness Coach at Atlantic Physical Therapy Center and get the help you need to not only continue with your home exercise program, but progress your program when needed. Using a Wellness Coach like Laura Goldsmith can help you stay accountable for doing your exercises and help you when any questions or issues may arise. She is available for in person and tele-health style meetings making it super easy to make and keep your appointments when it is convenient for you.
For more information on Laura’s services and Wellness Coaching visit atlanticptcenter.com/wellness-coaching