You leave a physical therapy or chiropractic visit with a sheet of exercises and every intention of doing them. A week later, the sheet is somewhere under the mail and you can't remember whether it was 10 repetitions or 15. If that sounds familiar, you're far from alone.
A home exercise program is the short set of exercises your clinician chooses for you to do between visits. It is often where much of your progress happens, because strength and mobility build through regular practice over weeks. Here is how to get clear instructions, build the habit and know when to check in.
Why a home exercise program matters
Most people see their clinician for an hour or less at a time. The rest of the week, your body keeps adapting to how you move, sit and sleep.
Muscles get stronger, stiff joints loosen and movement becomes smoother only with regular practice. Whether your care comes through physical therapy or chiropractic care, hands-on treatment may ease pain and stiffness, and your home exercises help you build on that relief. Exercise is also a recommended treatment in its own right for many common problems, including lower back pain and knee and hip arthritis.
Get clear instructions before you leave
Before you head home, make sure you can answer these questions:
- What is each exercise for?
- How many repetitions and sets, and how often?
- What should I feel, and where?
- What should I do if an exercise hurts?
- When will we update the program?
Ask to do each exercise once while your clinician watches, and ask for written instructions with pictures or a short video you can refer back to.
Build the habit into your day
Good intentions fade fast. These strategies help home exercises stick:
- Attach it to something you already do. Exercise after your morning coffee, before your shower or during a show you watch every evening.
- Split it up. If time is tight, break your routine into two or three mini-sessions.
- Make it visible. Leave your band or mat where you’ll see it, and keep your instructions on the fridge or saved on your phone.
- Plan for busy days. Decide in advance on a shorter version for hectic days, so one missed session doesn’t turn into a missed week.
Quality beats quantity
Doing an exercise well matters more than doing more of it. Common mistakes include:
- Rushing through repetitions instead of moving slowly and with control
- Holding your breath during the effort
- Adding exercises or weight on your own because a video suggested it
- Doing double on good days and nothing on bad days
A mirror can help you check your form. If an exercise feels different at home than it did in the clinic, ask at your next visit rather than guessing.
Keep an exercise log
A simple exercise log turns your home exercise program into useful information for your care team. Jot down:
- Which exercises you did, and how many
- How they felt during and right after
- How you felt the next morning
- Daily tasks that are getting easier, such as stairs or sitting through a movie
Bring it to your next appointment. Your clinician uses it to decide when to make exercises harder, when to ease off and when to swap something out. If a set has started to feel easy, or an exercise reliably leaves you more sore or stiff the next day, mention it.
When to stop and call
Some muscle effort and mild soreness are normal. Stop the exercise and contact your clinician if it causes sharp pain, new numbness or tingling, or pain that spreads into an arm or leg.
Call 911 or go to an emergency room for chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, fainting, loss of bladder or bowel control, or sudden leg weakness. If you've recently had an operation, contact your surgeon the same day about a swollen or painful calf, a red, warm or draining wound, or a fever. A structured post-surgical rehab plan keeps your exercises matched to how you’re healing.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a home exercise routine take?
There's no set length. Early on, a routine may be just a few exercises that take several minutes, repeated once or twice a day. Later, it may grow into longer sessions a few times a week as you get stronger. If yours feels too long to keep up with, tell your clinician, since a shorter plan you actually do usually beats a longer one you skip.
Can you do physical therapy exercises at home without a therapist?
For general fitness, yes. For pain, an injury or recovery from surgery, it's best to start with an evaluation so the exercises fit your condition. Exercises from online videos aren't tailored to you, and some can aggravate certain problems, such as a herniated disc or an irritated tendon. Once you've learned a program, many people continue on their own with occasional check-ins.
Should you keep doing your exercises after you feel better?
Usually, yes, in some form. Pain often improves before strength, endurance and control have fully returned, so stopping after your first good week can leave you open to a flare-up. Before you finish care, ask your clinician for a shorter maintenance routine you can keep doing a couple of times a week to hold on to your progress.
Build your program with PMR
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation of NY & CT (PMR) can design a home exercise program that fits your body, schedule and goals, then update it as you progress. Request an appointment and our team will contact you to schedule a visit at PMR of Danbury or PMR of Brewster.