Home Gym Physical Therapy
This weeks blog post will be discussing and demonstrating exercises that can be done at home with minimal equipment. These exercises can be done for rehab purposes or for general strengthening and fitness. We have compiled a list with links from Amazon and Perform Better. They offer free shipping and the clinic has purchased equipment from both sites in the past. I did add Best Buy for the TRX, which is where I found the best price for the home system. Unfortunately, it looks like the resistance band kits are sold out or significantly marked up on most sites. I did add single bands from Perform Better that could be used instead of the kit. The light and medium resistance bands should be enough to get you through a workout. Amazon also has a limited supply of dumbbells and it looks like there is a price hike on quite a few of them. Perform Better, which typically charges for shipping, is offering free shipping on most items and they are pretty comparable in price for equipment. We use the foam rolls, mini exercise bands, dumbbells and resistance bands in the clinic from this company.
We will be adding to the blog each day using a different piece of equipment listed below:
High Density 6āx36ā Foam Rollers:
Perform Better: $19.95 & Free Shipping (foam roll we use in the clinic)
Amazon: $17.00 & Free Shipping with Prime
Mini Exercise Bands 9āL x 2āā W :
Perform Better: 4-Pack $8.95 & Free Shipping (mini bands we use in the clinic)
Amazon: Gymbandit 5-Pack $14.99 & Free Shipping with Prime
Gliding or Sliding Discs:
Perform Better: $14.95 & Free Shipping
Amazon: $7.99 & Free Shipping with Prime (Gliding Discs we use in the clinic)
Resistance Bands and Resistance Band Kits:
Perform Better: $9.95-14.95 per band & Free Shipping (sold individually, I recommend the light to medium, the resistance is pretty strong with these bands)
Amazon: Free Shipping (this specific set not available, but ones similar to this one are available. I purchased this for about $20, unfortunately due to high demand it looks like they are going for around $50 and may have a month shipping delay)
TRX Suspension Trainer:
Best Buy: $99.99 & Free Shipping
Amazon: $149.95 & Free Shipping (also offered on the TRX website)
Free Weights:
Perform Better: $4.95-39.95 for a set & Free Shipping
Amazon: $6.99 and up & Free Shipping
Foam Roll Exercise Program
Foam Rolls are the first piece of equipment we are going to discuss and demonstrate. They are a great tool for not only tissue manipulation and stretching, but strengthening too. We have added 4 exercises that target the upper body, lower body and core. There are many other exercises from different fitness professionals for the foam roll that you can access via YouTube. The link to the exercise is attached to the exercise name or check out the videos on the Video section of our website.
For the following exercises we used a 36in high density foam roll.
Single Leg Deadlift on the Foam Roll
1. Begin in a standing upright position.
2. Place one end of the foam roll on top of your right foot and hold the other end of the foam roll in your right hand.
3. Shift weight to your left foot and lift your right leg off the ground as if you are kicking it backward
4. Keep holding the foam roll between your right foot and hand, as your right leg goes backward, bend at the hips so your head and chest go forward
5. You should feel a good stretch in your hamstring without rounding through your low back or letting the knee move forward
6. Return to an upright position by engaging the gluteal and hamstring muscles
7. 2-3 sets of 10 each leg
Upper Body Half Circles on the Foam Roll
1. Begin lying vertical on the foam roller with your entire spine and head supported
2. Hold light dumbbells (1-3lb) in each hand (feel free to use soup cans or a water bottle)
3. Raise your arms up towards the ceiling with your palms facing inward
4. Squeeze the shoulder blacks back and down into the foam roll
5. Slowly lower your arms out to the side (fly motion), raise arms overhead (snow angel motion), and bring both arms back to the starting position (reaching towards the ceiling)
6. Focus on keeping your shoulder blades squeezed throughout the motion
7. 2-3 sets of 10
Abdominal Marches on the Foam Roll, beginner and advanced
1. Begin lying on your back with arms resting at your side (advanced would we arms up in the air), knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2. Tighten your abdominals and slowly raise one of your legs off the floor, keeping your knee bent. Then return to the starting position and repeat with your other leg.
3. Try to keep the foam roll from moving by keeping your abdominals engaged and do not arch your low back
4. 2-3 sets of 10
90/90 Alternating Toe Touch on the Foam Roll
1. Lie on your back on the foam roll with your knees bent and your arms on the floor
2. Lift your legs off the ground to form a 90-degree angle. Slowly lower one leg, touching your toes to the floor, then return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg.
3. Try to keep the foam roll from moving by keeping your abdominals engaged and do not arch your low back
4. 2-3 sets of 10
Gliding or Sliding Discs Program
Gliding or Sliding discs are an inexpensive tool that can be used with a lot of different exercises. It allows for increased speed, core engagement, balance and flexibility. We have included a few exercises, but think about adding them to different balance activities, bridges, various plank positions or other types of lunges.
Lateral Lunges with the Slider
1. Begin standing in an upright position with a slider under one foot
2. Slide that foot out to your side and bend your knee, lowering your body into a side lunge position, keeping your trunk over your stationary leg and not allowing your knee to go over your foot.
3. Slowly slide the leg up using your glute muscle on the stationary leg and your inner thigh of the sliding leg. Make sure your abdominals are also engaged
4. 2-3 sets of 10
Reverse Lunges with the Slider
1. Begin in a standing upright position with one foot resting on a slider, and the other foot on the floor
2. Keeping your trunk upright, slide backward while lowering your body toward the ground, then carefully return to the starting position.
3. Donāt allow the knee to collapse inward and also being engaging your core muscles during this exercise.
4. 2-3 sets of 10
Plank with Lateral, Forward and Back Reach with the Slider
1. Begin in plank position with the sliders underneath both hands
2. Reach forward, side and backwards maintaining plank position with one hand and then switch to the other side.
3. 2-3 sets of 5
Mountain Climbers with Slider (Slow & Fast)
1. Begin in plank position with the sliders underneath your feet
2. Bring one knee toward your chest, then return it back to the start position and repeat with your other leg. Maintain core engagement and continue this motion.
3. Increased speed with increase the difficulty level
4. 2-3 sets of 10
TRX Suspension Workouts
TRX, total body resistance exercise, is a tool that uses your body weight and gravity as resistance to build strength, balance, flexibility, joint mobility and stability. We utilize this piece of equipment quite a bit in the clinic and if you follow us on Instagram we have a lot of various exercise videos on there. It is a great piece of equipment to use for all fitness levels and because it can address so many areas full body workouts can be performed with this. It can also easily be used at home.
1. Stand facing the TRX, loop one of the handles through the other one so only 1 is hanging down.
2. Grab onto the TRX with 1 hand and reach your other hand towards the ground behind you.
3. Rotating your torso up, reach for the top of the TRX and then back to starting position.
4. You should be engaging your shoulder blade muslces (performing a single arm row) on the side holding the TRX, and engaging your abdominal muscles to reach up.
5. Perform 2-3 sets of 10 on each side
Curtsy Lunge to Lateral Lunge with the TRX
1. Begin facing the TRX and holding onto both the handles with each hand.
2. Take a large to one side, then bend your knee making sure you keep your buttock back and donāt allow your knee to go over your foot.
3. Step your other leg diagonally behind you as if you were curtsying.
4. Repeat in the opposite direction
5. Perform 2-3 sets of 10
1. Begin facing the TRX holding onto both handles with each hand.
2. Lean forward so your body is on a diagonal, then bend your elbows and lower your chest toward your hands. The more horizontal you go the more difficult the exercise is.
3. Push back up to the diagonal position and repeat.
4. Try to not allow the TRX straps to rub against your shoulders and keep your shoulders down during this exercise.
5. Perform 2-3 sets of 10
1. Begin facing the TRX holding onto both handles with each hand with underhand grip.
2. Slowly lean back and walk your feel forward into a reclined position with your arms straight.
3. Bend your elbows, lifting your body up and you pull your hands toward your shoulders, then lower back down and repeat.
4. Keep your abdominals engaged and donāt shrug your shoulders up.
5. Perform 2-3 sets of 10
Mini Loop Band Exercises
The mini loop bands are a resistance tool that can be used for various exercises to add resistance to work on stability. We have included a few exercises, but think about adding them to bridges, squats or standing hip exercises. They make different size loop bands, but we used the mini size, which in 9″ for the following exercises.
Side Steps, Toes Forward, Toes In/Out with Mini Bands
1. Stand upright with a resistance band looped around your ankle. Point your feet straight forward.
2. Bend your knees slightly so you are in a mini squat position.
3. Slowly step sideways, maintaining tension in the band. Engage your abdominal and gluteal muscles to keep your trunk from leaning as you step.
4. Make sure to keep your feet pointing straight forward, and do not let your knees or foot collapse inward during the exercise.
5. By switching the position of your feet to ātoes inā or ātoes outā, you will target the deep hip rotator muscles, including the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. Continue to move slow and take small steps as switching the feet position can increase the difficulty of the exercise.
Backward Diagonal Walks with Mini Bands
1. Begin in a standing upright position with a resistance band looped around your ankles.
2. Slightly bend your knees into a mini squat position. Think about sitting your hips back as if you are sitting back into a chair. Step diagonally backward with one foot, then slowly bring your feet together. Repeat in the opposite direction.
3. Keep your core engaged, and your chest up. Focus on squeezing the gluteal muscles and extending through your hip when you step backwards.
Scapular Wall Slides with Mini Bands
1. Begin facing a wall. Place your hands inside the band so that the band is just below the wrist. Stagger your feet and place your forearms on the wall at chest height, palms facing each other.
2. Slowly slide your hands up overhead, gently squeezing your shoulder blades together and downward. Once your elbows are about shoulder height, hold briefly, then slide your hands back to the starting position and repeat.
3. You should feel your shoulder blades rotating as your arms slide up the wall. Make sure to maintain a gentle chin tuck and do not shrug your shoulders during the exercise.
Forearm Wall Walks with Mini Bands
1. Begin standing facing a wall.
2. Place your hands inside the band so that the band is just below the wrist.
3. Place your forearms on the wall at shoulder height, palms facing inward. Lean against the wall.
4. Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together and downward. Slowly move your forearm to the side, keeping your elbow and hand lined up vertically.
5. Then move the other forearm to follow so that you are āwalkingā along the wall.
6. Make sure to engage your core and keep your trunk straight. You will be working the back of the shoulder and shoulder blade area.
Resistance Band/Tube Exercises
Resistance Bands and Tubes are another great piece of equipment that can target all muscle groups and be used in replacement of free weights. They provide resistance throughout the entire movement of the exercise and the resistance can be varied with the tension of the band. Bands and Tubes arenāt just for rehab, they are a very useful tool for building strength and stability. They are also very portable and can be used essentially anywhere. Here are a few exercises that you can perform with the bands, but again think about adding them to just about any exercise that requires resistance.
Standing Low Row with Resistance Band
1. Anchor the resistance band in the middle (so both ends hang down) at about stomach height
2. Begin in a standing upright position, holding a resistance band handle in each hand, palms facing inward
3. Pull your arms back against the resistance band by squeezing your shoulder blades together and bending at your elbows, then return to the starting position
4. Make sure to keep your back straight by engaging your core muscles and do not shrug or hike your shoulders up
5. 2-3 Sets of 10
Standing Shoulder Extension / Pull Down with Resistance Band
1. Anchor the resistance band overhead (you may be able to use a door)
2. Begin in a standing position holding the handles on both ends of the resistance band anchored in front of you
3. Keeping your elbows straight, pull your hands down toward your hips. You should feel your shoulder blades go down (as if you are tucking them into your back pockets). Slowly return to the start and repeat.
4. Make sure to maintain good posture during the exercise and do not shrug or hike your shoulders up
5. 2-3 Sets of 10
Rotator Cuff Walkout with Resistance Band
1. Anchor one end of the resistance band at about stomach height
2. Ā Position yourself so that you are standing to the side of the resistance band, the arm that you will be using should be on the āoutsideā or further away from the band (e.g. if you are using yourĀ rightĀ arm, stand with the band on yourĀ leftĀ side)
3. Ā On the side that is further away from the resistance band, hold one end of the band, bend your elbow to a 90-degree angle and tuck a towel roll under your upper arm.
4. Slowly step to the side, away from the band, without letting your arm change position. Step back to the starting position and repeat. You shoulder feel your posterior shoulder and shoulder blade muscles working
5. Maintain upright posture, keep your hips and shoulders facing forward and do not shrug or hike your shoulders during the exercise. Maintain a neutral wrist position throughout the exercise.
6. 2-3 sets of 5-10
Half-Kneeling Chop with Resistance Band
1. Anchor one end of the resistance band overhead.
2. Position yourself so that you are in a half-kneeling position to the side of the resistance band. The leg closest to the band should be kneeling or down; the other leg is in the āforward positionā. Hold the end of the resistance band with both hands
3. Slowly pull the band down and across your body in a diagonal āchoppingā motion, then return to starting position and repeat.
4. Activate your core muscles as you pull the band, use your gluteal muscles to maintain your balance and stability
5. 2-3 sets of 10
Half-Kneeling Lift with Resistance Band
1. Ā Anchor one end of the resistance band near the floor
2. Position yourself so that you are in a half-kneeling position to the side of the resistance band. The leg closest to the band should be kneeling or down; the other leg is in the āforward positionā. Hold the end of the resistance band with both hands
3. Pull your arms diagonally up to your other side in a lifting motion, slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
4. Ā Activate your core muscles as you pull the band up, use your gluteal muscles to maintain your balance and stability
5. 2-3 sets of 10
If you have any questions regarding the equipment or exercises, please contact [email protected]. We are also offering Telehealth appointments or seeing some patients in-clinic. Follow us on Instagram or Like us on Facebook for weekly exercise videos and tips.
