No Excuses: 5 Simple Tips to Help You Stick to Your Exercise Routine
Homework. I know, just the word makes us cringe and think of late nights studying algebra. If you’ve had Physical Therapy before, you know that some homework (aka a home exercise program) is assigned to help you make progress between sessions and to make ongoing progress after you’re done seeing us on a regular basis. We understand the struggle of adding something extra to your day. Below, we share five tips to help you stick with your exercise program.
Make it personal: What are your goals? Linking the exercise or activity to your personal goals will help you stay motivated. Make sure you share these goals with your therapists. Here are some goals that our patients have had (and achieved!) recently: “Strengthening my knee so I can climb the bleachers to watch my grandkids play basketball.” “Improving my balance so I feel safer in my home and community.” “Improving my core strength to continue running without back pain.” “Decreasing urinary urgency so I can go on a road trip without worrying about where the next bathroom is.”
Schedule it: Schedule it like you would any other appointment. Choose a consistent time of a day to do your exercises and get it done.
Recruit a buddy: Grab a friend or facetime a family member and do exercises together – you’ll keep each other accountable.
Break the exercises into smaller chunks: Don’t have time to complete all of your exercises? Do some of the exercises in the morning and do the rest in the evening. This will make the exercises more manageable and less daunting.
Track your progress: Keep a journal or use an app to record your progress – for example, how far your walk and how many reps of an exercise you complete. Looking back at your progress will be a motivator to continue your routine.
We want to hear from you! Share your tips (or struggles) to stick with an exercise program on our social media pages.
Contact us below to schedule a one-on-one appointment with one of our therapists. The therapist will provide an individualized assessment to develop a customized treatment plan to help you attain your goals. We offer in-person visits at our clinic in Riverdale, concierge in-home sessions, and virtual visits over telehealth to cater to all of your needs.
We look forward to helping you achieve your wellness goals.
TeaMPT: Rachel, Julie, Christine, Yoshi, Liz, Heidi, Kasandra, Michael, and Toni
