When it comes to basic rehabilitation, exercise 99% of the time will be one of the main treatment methods to help with both your short term and long-term health…. That being said… sometimes actually doing them can be a little bit of a different story. As therapists we know how integral your exercises are to your rehab program, however we also know implementing them into your busy life can be hard. Below I’ll run through a few tips that have worked for myself, as well as my patients!
- Make sure you understand the purpose behind your exercises.
We know sometimes pathologies can be difficult to understand let alone those strange exercise your physio has given you. You are far more likely to do your exercises if you actually understand those exercises, why you are doing them and what you should feel when you do them. I promise you, asking your physio ‘Where should I feel this?’ will make them squeal with glee!
- Attach your exercises to an everyday activity.
This may sound like a simple one but simply tying your exercises to something you do every day will increase the likelihood you will actually remember to do them! Do your calf raises while you’re brushing your teeth, do your sit to stands while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, or even simply do your neck stretches before bed! Don’t worry too much about them being spread over the day, the important thing is for them just to get done.
- Mark them off on a calendar or sheet
Personally I am a list person… I just love them! Grab a little piece of paper or style it up and get an app on your phone to help mark some of them off. The little burst of happy energy you get when you tick that box can be addictive! Also sometimes they can be hard to remember, so it can be good sometimes to put a print out of your exercises next to your list!
- Most importantly… Work with with your Physiotherapist
Rehab programs are the best when both patient and physio have input into them. If you don’t understand, don’t like one of the exercises or simply don’t even want to get on the floor for an exercise… let your Physio know! We want to create a program that is going to provide the best benefit for you.
I hope some of these little hints helped you! The most important thing to remember is even a little bit of exercise goes a long way. Rehab takes time so keep up the motivation to get those exercises done.
