EXERCISE THERAPY

Exercise is defined as any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. In a rehabilitation setting, exercises are prescribed to improve function and reduce pain. There are 4 common types of exercises.

Aerobic Exercise

This is aimed at improving your general health, improving the stroke volume of your heart, and increasing your cardiac output. It is also aimed at improving your muscles’ efficiency in extracting oxygen from the blood.

• Walking/ jogging/ running
• Cycling
• Swimming

Muscle Strength and Endurance

These exercises put the muscle or the bone under a safe amount of pressure, which leads to growth in strength and adaptation guiding you towards recovery. This can help to reduce your pain and guide you towards achieving your goals.

• Resistance training
• Weight training

Flexibility

These exercises keep your joints moving, improving, and easing any joint stiffness. They are aimed at improving the flexibility of your muscle or joint, allowing them to perform a full range of motion to prevent strains, joint pain, or muscle damage

• Stretching
• Range of motion exercises

Neuromuscular Exercise

This exercise is aimed at improving your “mind-muscle connection”. Through the proper form of performing these exercises, your body learns a more efficient way of contracting the muscle leading to neuromuscular adaptations.

• Balance
• Coordination exercises