“You want me to do how many repetitions?!”  “How many times a day?!”  “Will I have time to eat?”  “I’m really busy at work.”  “I completely forgot about that one.”

As someone who has had to rehab injuries in the past, I really understand how difficult staying vigilant and compliant with a home exercise program can be.  Life is fast-paced and no one has time for rehab.  Work demands, family, chores, kids, practices, school… the list of responsibilities goes on.  As the holiday season peaks, you’ll only be getting busier and busier.  However, following your therapist’s recommendations including avoiding certain activities and performing your home exercises is just as important to your recovery as geauxing to physical therapy.  In most physical therapy sessions, I use my hands to stretch a joint,  give your body feedback on what posture it needs to maintain, or demonstrate exercises to show proper technique.  These activities in the treatment sessions are vital to laying down the foundation for your recovery.  Building strength takes repetition and reinforcement everyday.  Your body needs practice to learn to move correctly and this is best achieved through your home exercises.  If I had to use a metaphor, attending your physical therapy appointment is the ship and your home exercises are the crew.  Without the two working together, you won’t be sailing anywhere.   So, I’m going to offer a few tips I’ve learned from experience, my patients, and my Psychosocial Aspects of Sport course in college.  Hopefully, this will help you remember to perform your home exercises, stay on track, and run a tight ship. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: compliance, motivation, physical therapy, rehabilitation