Following an injury or illness, most physicians suggest that their patients take special care to attend to their physical fitness and wellness. One of the suggestions a physician will make will be for the patient to begin a physical therapy program, and in many cases a home-based physical therapy program is the best fit. Fortunately, the physical therapists at Smart Rehab are always ready to tailor a therapy plan to fit a patient’s unique needs, and often they will suggest that the patient introduces additional exercises into their routines for optimal results. For many, it may be hard to get to a local gym for these supplemental exercises, so the experts at Smart Rehab have compiled a list of exercises that can be done at home with “equipment” that can be found around the house! 

Use a Tea Towel to Improving Hand Strength

A tea towel, or a small dish towel, can be a good tool to be used in strengthening the muscles in wrists and hands. A good way to use a tea towel for exercise is to practice rolling the towel. To start the exercise, roll the towel up until it’s 2 or so inches in diameter, after rolling towel grip the roll for 3-5 seconds (depending on baseline hand strength), and then release the grip to unroll the towel. For maximum results repeat the exercise 10-12 times. 

Use Canned Goods to Improve Range of Motion

To work on strengthening, or rehabilitating, the arms or shoulders simply walk to the pantry and grab a couple of canned goods from the pantry! An example of a good exercise that integrates the use of the canned goods is a standard range of motion exercise. To start, keep the elbow straight and then flex the shoulder so that the arm is out in front and the hand holding the canned good is parallel to the floor. Next, begin to slowly raise the arm and try to position the hand/canned good towards the ceiling. Once this position is achieved, hold for 3-5 seconds before releasing the arm. This exercise should be repeated 10-15 times. 

Use a Chair to Improve Balance

Grab a sturdy chair (without wheels) and get ready to work on improving balance! To begin, start by standing behind the chair and holding onto the back of it. Next, lift the right foot to work on balancing on the left side and then holding the balanced position for as long as possible (and is comfortable). Afterwards, switch feet and work on improving balance on the right side by repeating the exercise for the same amount of time. Ultimately the goal is be able to stand on each foot independently of the chair! 

All exercises should be discussed before trying to ensure they help reach the outlined therapy goals. These exercises are a great way to supplement the progress being made with the unique therapy plan provided by the trained Smart Rehab therapist. For more information on Smart Rehab and home-based physical therapy, give the experts a call at 314-403-0492.