3 at-home physical therapy exercises you can do on your own

Physical therapy can be beneficial for almost everyone, in a variety of ways. If you’ve recently been to physical therapy and are looking for more exercises to do in between sessions or you haven’t yet been but know the movements might help you, take a look at some of the exercise ideas we’ve listed below. Each of these is a type of movement that your physical therapist could ask you to do during PT sessions.

At-home physical therapy exercises are great for keeping your body mobile, strong and flexible. It’s a solution designed to treat pain, immobility, and injury and is more likely to be effective than oral medication for long-term treatment.

3 exercises that are used in physical therapy

• Hip bridge with ball assistance — This at-home physical therapy exercise involves placing your heels into an exercise ball with your back flat on the ground. The idea is to raise your hips up off the ground while keeping your back on the floor and your heels still on the exercise ball. You can move your legs closer to your abdomen by rolling the ball with your heels so that your knees are bent and your hips and buttocks are still in the air. The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen your hip, hamstring, glute, and abdominal muscles, while increasing flexibility and mobility.

• Knee-to-chest stretch — To complete this exercise, you need to lie on your back and begin with your legs straight out, like if you were to do a pencil dive into a pool. Then, lift one leg up into the air while keeping your other leg flat on the ground. Lift your one leg straight up, keeping your foot bent at a 90-degree angle. Interlock both of your hands behind your kneecap and gently pull your leg closer to your chest so that you can feel the stretch in the muscles in the back of your thigh. Bend your knee so that your leg is at a 90-degree angle, and then stretch it back out so it is as straight as you could possibly make it. Then, switch and repeat with the opposite leg.

• Arm rotation strengthening movements — To complete this exercise, you should stand up straight, parallel with a bar or structure with a rubber stretching band tied around it. Grab the inside of the band with one hand while keeping the elbow of the hand you choose to use first close to your body. Your elbow and arm should be at a 90-degree angle. While holding the band in your closed fist, start so your forearm is parallel to the bar, and then slowly move your forearm so that it’s parallel to the front of your body. Don’t forget to keep your elbow close to your abdomen. Also, your rubber band should be taut. The idea is to have some resistance in your movements to build flexibility and strength in your shoulders and arm muscles.

Each of these at-home exercises are most effective as part of a larger treatment plan. For more exercise ideas, read some more ideas here. You should contact a physical therapist for a personalized at-home treatment and care plan. One quick and easy way to do so is to meet virtually with a physical therapist. At Agile Virtual Physical Therapy, we have several experienced professionals who are qualified to create a personalized plan with you containing at-home physical therapy exercises catered to your age and fitness level.

If you aren’t sure how virtual physical therapy platforms can serve you specifically, consider the benefits of performing the at-home exercises listed above. Now, think about the benefits of these at-home physical therapy exercises and many others when they are placed into an all-encompassing care plan for your physical health. If you’re still not convinced, speak with one of our clinicians about how we can help your individual needs.

Why choose Agile Virtual Physical Therapy?

Agile Virtual Physical Therapy can offer more than 400 licensed clinicians. We’re committed to making providing effective PT care easier through our telehealth platform. At Agile Virtual PT, we provide services in 45 U.S. states, and we also offer free virtual screenings. For more information including our many partnerships, read here.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.