Life is full of surprises and an accident can occur at any time, leaving you in need of PT (Physical Therapy). Physical therapy helps us recover after we've gotten into an accident. From time to time, something like that seems to be unavoidable. Not everyone has the money for full-blown PT sessions, either. Here are a few things you can do at home to rehabilitate.
Leg Extensions and Curls
Knee injuries are all too common in the modern world. Many of us work jobs that force us to sit at a desk or register for the majority of the day. Sedentary jobs put us at risk for common lower-body injuries. If you've had a knee injury, you can try doing this.
Sitting in a chair, extend your leg until it's straight. Take your foot and roll it around in circles while your leg is fully extended. While you're rotating the foot, gently lower yourself toward it. Keep your spine straight as you reach for your toes. Focus on bending at your hips with your doing this. After grabbing your toes, hold the pose for a few seconds. Then, do the same with your other leg.
The reverse of this would be a leg curl. You can lie on your bed, stomach down, to do this one. Lift your forehead toward the ceiling while reaching for your foot with one of your hands. Once you've got a hold of it, push out with your leg. You should arch your back, kinda like a scorpion. Hold the pose for a few moments before doing it again with your other foot.
Standing Hip Hinge
This is an exercise you'll need to do while standing up. It's good for loosening the muscles near the back of your leg, close to the hips.
Stand with your feet facing forward, shoulder-width apart. Notice how each of your vertebrae feel once you're standing. Then, slowly lower your head toward the floor. Focus on bending your hips. Hold the rest of your spine straight while you're bending. It might feel like your poking your butt toward the wall behind you.
After you're parallel, hold your breath for a couple of moments. Then, raise yourself back up again slowly.
Lateral Raises
Lateral raises target your deltoid in isolation. If you've had difficulty raising your hand, they're a great mobility exercise
You can start without using any weights at all if you're weak in the shoulders. Simply raise your arms beside you while keeping your palms pointed toward the ground. Once they're above shoulder level, you can point them in front of you. Continue raising them until they're all the way above your head. Then, lower them back down to your sides. Do this exercise at least 15 times in the morning and at night.
You can add weight to the exercise once you're strong enough. Adding weight can help you develop muscle in your shoulders.
Downward Dog
Downward dog is a yoga pose that's great at targeting our posterior chain. That's a network of muscles extending from your heel to the back of your head. Stretching it out can help us feel more relaxed while we're moving around throughout the day.
To do this exercise, start kneeling on a mat. Put your hands in front of you facing down on the mat. Then, push off your knees. Support yourself by pushing into the mat with your feet and hands. You should form an upside V if you're making the correct pose.
Hand Exercises
Hand strengthening exercises are a great way to improve your dexterity. If you've had issues holding a cup, then hand exercises might help. There are a ton of different options you can try. Try taking a small stress ball. Then, squeeze it as hard as you can for a little while. Release it slowly before squeezing it again. Do that several times throughout the day to develop more strength in your forearms and hands.
At-Home Exercises for Physical Therapy
Exercising at home can help you recover from an accident. Doing regular physical therapy drills could also help improve your mobility and dexterity. Consistency is key when it comes to long-term results, too.
