Hopefully your physical therapy sessions get your heart pumping and help to provide feelings of alertness, but for some people, they are exhausted shortly after their PT session ends. We don’t want you to feel fatigued or lethargic after your physical therapy sessions, and you can work to combat this fatigue in a few different ways. In today’s blog, we explain why you may be feeling tired after your physical therapy sessions, and we explain how to manage these feelings of fatigue.
Why Is Physical Therapy So Tiring?
If you’re feeling tired or exhausted after your PT sessions, you’re not alone. Here’s a couple of reasons why PT can leave you feeling a bit drained:
- Physical Exertion – One clear reason why physical therapy can leave you feeling tired is because it is physically exhausting. We are going to push you to your limits during your sessions so that you can make the strongest recovery possible. This exertion can leave you feeling a little fatigued afterwards.
- Mental Exertion – PT can also be mentally tiring. Your brain and your body are working to relearn movements or overcome certain weaknesses, and this process is tiring. Physical therapy doesn’t typically work overnight, so the weeks or months of sessions with slow and steady progress can also wear down on your mental health if you had mismatched expectations about your recovery.
- The Recovery Process – Recovering after a physical therapy session is also tiring for your body. Your body is working behind the scenes to mend muscle fibers and resolve localized inflammation, and these processes expend energy. Recovery is an essential part of your physical therapy program, but it too can be partly to blame for your feelings of fatigue after a session.
Combating Fatigue After PT
So how can you work to overcome these feelings of fatigue so that you have more energy to get through the rest of your day? There’s no perfect playbook for staying energized after PT, but here are some recommendations from our team of physical therapists:
- Get plenty of short-term rest so that it’s easier for your body to physically recover.
- Take time to focus on you and your mental health after a PT session.
- Fuel your body with healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins. Avoid excessive caffeine consumption.
- Drink plenty of water before and after your physical therapy sessions.
- Stick with your program, as your body will begin to adapt to this consistency.
Finally, we also recommend talking with your physical therapist about your feelings of fatigue, especially if you’re always tired after a PT session. They may be able to tweak your program or take a look at some other possibilities as to why you’re drained of energy after a basic PT routine. Whatever the cause, we’ll help make the adjustments needed so that you can feel alert and energized as you go through the rest of your day.
For more information about your PT options at OrthoRehab Specialists, or to talk to a physical therapist about an issue you’re dealing with, reach out to our team today at (612) 339-2041.