One of the most unfortunate things about getting older is losing your strength, stamina, and overall ability to do certain things you love. This is especially true after you’ve experienced a serious injury. Fortunately, physical therapy helps patients recover and manage their health so they can get back to enjoying the things they love. You may even feel better than you did before your injury!
At South Coast Post Acute, we’re experts in delivering a high level of patient services to get you back on your feet. While the road may be long and uncertain, we’re always there to guide you in the right direction. Read our blog post below and learn how our facility can help you on your physical therapy journey.
Strengthening Exercises For Maximum Physical Prowess
One of the most fundamental aspects of physical therapy involves strengthening exercises to increase muscle mass and of course, strength. Atrophy can occur during surgery recovery, making it vital for patients to seek help in strength and conditioning. Additionally, enhancing your muscles can help prevent future injuries by increasing your strength, balance, and overall control over your body.
Some muscle-strengthening exercises include:
- Lifting weights
- Climbing stairs
- Walking on an incline
- Cycling
- Yoga
- Push-ups, sit-ups, and squats
Physical Therapy Calls for Lots of Stretching
Another form of exercise that helps in one’s therapy is stretching. It can result in better muscle and tissue resilience, meaning they will be less prone to tearing and hyperextending. Also, stretching routines help build better balance and posture while reducing the stress of recovery. Just like any exercise, stretching is recommended before being led into a productive physical therapy session as it improves your circulation. Based on your condition, your physical therapist will come up with appropriate stretches to help you in your workouts.
Some stretches they might recommend include:
- Child’s pose
- Hamstring stretches
- Side lunge stretches
- Downward dog
- Pelvic tilts
- Straight leg lunge
Physical Therapy May Incorporate Aerobic Exercises
Not only is aerobic exercise good for recovery, but it also has tremendous benefits on our cardiovascular system. In fact, patients who took aerobic classes 3-5 times per week over 3+ years saw an improvement in their health and overall quality of life. This is because these types of exercises boost our heart and muscle efficiency while increasing our body’s ability to pump blood. Oxygen-rich blood is essential for proper body function and enables us to heal faster. Hence why it’s aerobics is an incredible exercise to do during physical therapy.
Some common aerobic exercises include:
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Running
- Brisk walking
- Jumping rope
- Climbing stairs
Improve Your Endurance Through Therapy
Much like aerobic exercises, endurance workouts put pressure on your heart with the goal to increase your heart and respiratory rates. Endurance exercises strengthen the lungs, heart, and blood vessels, improving your overall blood circulation. These are some of the most vital parts of your body, so it’s important to properly care for and maintain them, especially after experiencing an injury. Endurance training also helps patients build resilience towards heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other diseases.
Endurance training incorporates a lot of the same exercises as its aerobic counterpart, like:
- Jumping rope
- Running
- Power walking
- Swimming
South Coast Post Acute Specializes in Rehabilitative Physical Therapy
South Coast Post Acute offers intensive medical and physical rehabilitation care for patients recovering from their hospital stay. We hold a high standard of care for each person seeking treatment and work closely with them to ensure they reach their recovery goals. Our physician-driven programs are designed to get you back on your feet and back to doing the things you love.
Find Support with South Coast Post Acute
South Coast Post Acute is a 5-star rated Medicare facility and private healthcare community in Southern California. For over 40 years, we’ve provided first-class service that emphasizes a high level of compassion and spirit. When you enroll in our facility you aren’t just treated as a patient, you’re treated like family. With a wide range of health services, our team of professionals is capable of helping you. Contact us today and learn how South Coast Post Acute’s staff can help you return to a normal life.