Therapeutic Exercise

These exercises are designed to increase the range of motion in your joints and improve the mobility and flexibility of your soft tissues.

This can be accomplished through active, passive, or assisted stretching.

Active: An active stretch does not involve the application of an outside force or assistance of any kind. For example, a forward bend in standing to stretch your hamstrings.

Active assisted: A stretch performed where you help yourself (or are helped) to move a limb into a stretched position. For example, while lying on your back, use a strap to help lift your leg to feel a stretch in your hamstring.

Passive: A stretch performed to you where you do nothing to help. Typically performed by your physical therapists or loved one at home.

These are intended to assist your joints and muscles move more freely and painlessly.

These exercises are common in physical therapy and are designed to initiate the recovery of muscles following an injury or surgery. These exercises are used to strengthen our muscles safely and effectively.

The progression of strength starts with the ability to move against gravity and progresses to include heavy lifting, such as Olympic weightlifting techniques. Essentially any form of resistance (i.e., bands, dumbbells, barbells, machines, or other weights).

Progressions may also include changing gravity’s influence (i.e., lying vs. standing), speed, repetitions, or sets. The bottom line is to continue progressing by adding some challenges to the exercise.

Balance is your ability to distribute your weight evenly and maintain upright and steady in a static position (i.e., sitting, standing, kneeling, etc.) or while moving (i.e., transferring positions, walking, running, etc.).

You test your nervous and musculoskeletal systems every time you do any activity. Whether it is to get up, walk, stand still, brush your teeth, or prepare a meal, maintaining your balance is essential to performing these tasks. If you lose your balance, you lose control over your body and run the risk of injuring yourself.

Balance exercises are critical to your well-being, especially after an injury or illness, and a significant component of your overall ability to function.

Aerobic means “with oxygen.” Breathing controls the amount of oxygen that can make it to the muscles to help them burn fuel and move. Aerobic exercise is any type of cardiovascular conditioning or “cardio” workout. Aerobic conditioning exercises are designed to increase your heart rate and increase the oxygen in your blood to allow us to keep exercising.

Therapeutic exercises that help improve your aerobic condition can be any exercise that gets your heart rate up and sustains it. The most common aerobic exercises include activities like:

• Brisk walking
• Hiking
• Running
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Fitness classes (i.e., step aerobics, Zumba, circuit training)
• HIIT (i.e., high-intensity interval training)
• Rock climbing
• Cross country skiing

Aerobic exercise is a therapeutic exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the individual’s needs and tolerance to exercise. Our physical therapists will design the right type of aerobic exercise that meets your needs.