Whether you are hoping to start and maintain a personal exercise program or you have been given some therapy exercises to complete on your own from the comfort of your home by your physical therapist, it’s not always easy to complete your program as intended. You may find that motivation to exercise fades over time, or that life simply gets in the way. That’s normal, but if everyone gave into these obstacles, nobody would follow through with their exercise goals.
With that in mind, we want to use today’s blog to share six tips for starting and maintaining a home exercise program.
How To Follow Through With Your Home Exercise Program
If you’ve been given specific home-based exercises to perform by your physical therapist, or you’re planning on exercising from home more regularly throughout the week, here is some advice on sticking to your original exercise plan.
- Carve Out Time – Don’t assume that you will just find time throughout the day to get your exercise in. Make it a point to carve out a specific time. Whether that means you wake up a little earlier or you do them every night before crawling into bed, make time for exercise, because rarely will it ever fit into your schedule.
- Get Creative – Carving out time doesn’t mean that you can only wake up earlier or go to bed later in order to do your exercises. Sit down and take a look at your weekly schedule and decide ahead of time when you’ll get your exercise in. If you have an hour to kill while your child is at hockey practice, or you watch a specific television program on certain nights, do your exercises during these times! Exercising in front of a television or while listening to music can make time feel like it’s going by quicker.
- Set Goals – Many patients find it easier to develop the motivation to exercise from home regularly if they set some goals. Others go a step further and write out these goals and place these notes in an area they see every day. Remembering why you’re committing to this home exercise program can make it easier for you to do your routine when you’d rather be doing anything else.
- Start Slow – Whether you’re hoping to lose a bunch of weight or return to your pre-injury level of fitness, know that the process is going to take some time. Progress may be slower to come by than you realize, but you can’t let this deter you from your end goals. Take things slow at the outset and try not to have mismatched expectations for how quickly you’ll notice progress or achieve your goals.
- Talk About Your Difficulties – If you’re having any issues with your home exercise program, please reach out to your physical therapist. If you feel like your progress has plateaued, you aren’t sure if you are doing the exercises correctly or you’re struggling with another aspect of your program, we can help. Odds are we’ve helped other clients through similar problems, and we can do the same for you.
- Celebrate Your Success – Finally, while the end goal may be your ultimate target, don’t forget to celebrate your success along the way. Recognizing and celebrating the progress you’ve made so far can make it easier for you to find the motivation to keep building towards that ultimate goal. We know that you have your eyes set on a bigger physical goal, but be sure to appreciate the hard work that you’ve already put in.
For help curating or sticking to a home exercise program, or for personalized assistance overcoming a physical issue, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.