Wellness Center
YOU FINISHED YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPY – WHAT NOW?
If you have recently completed your physical therapy, you might wonder what the next step in your fitness activity should be. What is safe for me to do? Which physical activity is allowable and which I should avoid? Sometimes you do not feel well enough to come back to our pre-injury or pre-surgery activities or simply, you would just like to maintain the fitness level accomplished during physical therapy. Keeping a regime of in-home post-rehabilitation exercise programs might not be that easy for many of us. A prospect of taking a chance at the gym and risking a re-injury may also deter you from returning to an organized fitness effort.
This is where we would like to remind you of PDR’s much-rewarding Wellness Membership program – a very special offer for those who have already completed their rehabilitation with PDR to continue their post-rehabilitation physical improvement by further challenging their bodies in a safe environment of our facility.
NEW FITNESS CLASSES AT PDR!
Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Not only can it improve your physical condition but also reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. A number of studies have found that exercise also helps to combat depression. And the good news is that it is never too late to start. Moderate physical activity is strongly advised at any age, shape, and size.
If you would like to boost your physical activity but not sure how to start, join our new fitness classes – one-hour stretching sessions with elements of Pilates and yoga. Classes are designed primarily for our patients and will be held both in our clinic and outdoors in Arlington Lake Park, every Saturday from 9:30 am – 10:30 am. A detailed class schedule and all necessary information are available here.
THE GOALS OF THE WELLNESS PROGRAM AT PDR:
- To continue recovery through carefully developed, customized training
- Bridge the gap between healthcare and fitness
- Allow patients in the post-rehab stages of their recovery to achieve physical fitness
HOW TO START?
When approaching the end of your therapy, talk to your therapist about establishing a transition plan. When you know how to exercise the correct way, you can begin to work out, using our equipment and, if needed, with help from our professional physical therapists or rehab aides. Remember to properly prepare for your workout – make sure to fuel your body with healthy foods and plenty of water. Take enough time to fully warm up with some stretching.
POST PHYSICAL THERAPY WORKOUT
When it comes to the actual workout, the best way is to start light, and slowly increase duration and weight over time. Always remember to listen to your body, if you feel pain or resistance, don’t force yourself any further. Pushing too hard, too fast can aggravate your injury and could reverse weeks of progress you have made in therapy. Post-physical therapy exercise can seem overwhelming, particularly if you are still experiencing pain or discomfort, but continuing to strengthen your body will ensure that you are indeed advancing on your road to complete recovery.
REMEMBER – WE ARE HERE FOR YOU
Recovery doesn’t happen overnight but hopefully, with time and consistency, you should achieve your desired activity level. However, if you feel that you are not progressing in the way you would like, or worse, you feel that you may reinjure yourself, do not hesitate to reach out to one of our physical therapy professionals as, since after the completion of your therapy at PDR, they know your unique circumstances in detail and are thus best able to advise on how to proceed with your exercise program.