Therapeutic Exercise

How Can Therapeutic Exercise in Chesterfield, MO Benefit You?

There’s a common misconception that all you need to do when you’re in pain or sustain an injury is rest for a few days or weeks. However, this approach often prolongs recovery and can make you more prone to exacerbating your condition or sustaining another injury.

Rest can be an inefficient and sometimes harmful method to address pain from an injury. Extended periods of inactivity can lead to muscle weakening, increased tension, and restrictions. Avoidance of activity can also compromise your overall functionality and delay your response to daily tasks and challenges.

The silver lining is that therapeutic exercise in Chesterfield, MO with iMove PT can expedite your recovery and enhance your overall function and fitness. Our physical therapists specialize in movement and are experts in curating therapeutic exercise programs to enhance your strength, range of motion, and overall body function.

At iMove PT, our mission is to help you lead a life free of pain, with improved physical performance and health!

Allow us to devise a tailored recovery plan for you to speed up your recovery and achieve optimal levels of functionality.

Exercises for Progressive Resistance (or Strengthening Exercises):

These exercises, typically utilized in physical therapy, are meant to kickstart the recovery of muscles post-injury or post-surgery. They are designed to strengthen your muscles in a safe and efficient manner.

Starting with the ability to move against gravity, the strengthening progression can extend to heavier lifting exercises, such as Olympic weightlifting techniques. Any form of resistance can be used, including bands, dumbbells, barbells, machines, or other weights.

Progressions might also involve altering the effect of gravity (for example, switching between lying and standing positions), speed, repetitions, or sets. The ultimate goal is to continue progressing by introducing new challenges to the exercise routine.

Balance training:

Balance pertains to your capacity to evenly distribute your weight and maintain stability, either in a static position (such as sitting, standing, kneeling, etc.) or while in motion (like transitioning between positions, walking, running, etc.).

Every activity you perform challenges your nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Whether you’re standing up, walking, standing still, brushing your teeth, or preparing a meal, maintaining balance is crucial for accomplishing these tasks. Losing balance equates to losing control over your body, potentially leading to injury.

Balance exercises are essential for your well-being, especially post-injury or illness, and play a significant role in your overall functional ability.

Aerobic conditioning:

Aerobic refers to “with oxygen.” Your breathing regulates the amount of oxygen that reaches your muscles to aid in fuel burning and movement. An aerobic exercise, also known as cardiovascular conditioning or “cardio,” is meant to elevate your heart rate and increase your blood’s oxygen levels, enabling sustained exercise.

Therapeutic exercises aimed at enhancing your aerobic condition can be any exercise that raises and sustains your heart rate. Common aerobic exercises might include activities like:

Aerobic exercise is a therapeutic exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the individual’s needs and tolerance to exercise. Our physical therapists will design the right type of aerobic exercise that meets your needs.