Physical therapy exercises are an important part of recovering from an injury or surgery, but they aren't always easy to do on your own. Luckily, you can do a few things to ensure your physical therapy exercises are successful. This article highlights some tips on how to stay motivated and ensure you're getting the most out of your physical therapy exercises.
Set Realistic Goals
Be sure to set realistic goals for yourself during in-home physical therapy exercises to stay motivated. If you constantly push yourself too hard, you'll quickly lose steam and give up. Shoot for challenging but still achievable goals so you can stay on track and continue seeing progress.
For instance, if you're working on strengthening your leg muscles after an injury, start with smaller goals like doing ten repetitions of a certain exercise. As you get stronger, you can increase the number of repetitions. You could add more challenging exercises such as squats or lunges to your routine so that you can keep pushing yourself and seeing results.
When it comes to in-home physical therapy exercises, consistency is key. It can be difficult to stay on track if you're doing them on your own, but it's important to stick with them. Try to set a schedule for yourself and ensure you're doing the exercises regularly. You can miss a day here and there, but you need to pick up where you left off and limit distractions.
You should also keep in mind that in-home physical therapy exercises aren't always going to be fun. But that doesn't mean they're not important. Just remember why you're doing them in the first place and focus on the end goal.
If you're having trouble staying motivated, talk to your physical therapist. They can give you additional tips and support to help you through the in-home physical therapy process.
Take Short Breaks As Needed
Don't feel bad about taking short breaks during in-home physical therapy exercises—this is totally normal! Breaks allow your body and mind a momentary respite, which can make completing your exercises later on much easier.
If you find yourself getting too tired or feeling overwhelmed, take a five-minute break. Get up, walk around, drink water, or do a quick stretching routine. Once you've taken a few deep breaths and given your body a chance to rest, you'll likely feel more prepared to finish your in-home physical therapy exercises.
Listening to music or watching TV can also help you power through in-home physical therapy exercises. Choose something that's upbeat and motivating to help you stay focused.
After you've completed your in-home physical therapy exercises, it's important to cool down. This shift allows your body to slowly transition from an active state and can help prevent any post-exercise soreness.
Contact a physical therapist to learn more about in-home physical therapy.