A course of exercises for rehabilitation typically involves a tailored series of physical exercises and movements aimed at restoring or improving physical function after injury or illness.
Description: To perform a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward or slightly outward.
It's important to warm up before performing squats. A few minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching can help prepare your muscles and joints for the exercise.
If you are unsure on how to prepare for a squat please take a minute and visit our stretching and warm up section to prevent injury and achieve best results.
Maintaining proper form is crucial for safety and effectiveness. Keep your knees in line with your toes, your chest up, and your back straight throughout the movement. Also, make sure to engage your core muscles to stabilize your spine.
Start with assisted or bodyweight squats: If you're new to squats or haven't done them in a while it is common to use a chair, a friend or a support to learn how to correctly perform a squat.
When correct performance of a squat has been achieved you can gradually add resistance using bands, by holding dumbbells or a barbell. Start with a lighter weight and gradually increase it as you get stronger or desire more intensity.
Try varying your stance: You can change your squat stance by widening or narrowing your feet or by turning your toes inward or outward. This can target different muscles and provide variety to your workout.
Always work within a comfortable range for your particular situation. Pain is not the goal nor speed but should injuries occur please seek professional advice.
Squats are a popular strength training exercise that primarily targets the muscles of the lower body, including the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
Common Mistakes: Some common mistakes include knees collapsing or folding inwards:
When performing a squat, make sure your knees don't move inwards or towards each other. This can cause unnecessary stress on your knee joints and increase the risk of injury. Correct posture is the key and this starts with a strong core.
Leaning too far forward is a common mistake and is often due to poor flexibility. Leaning forward can put excessive stress on your lower back and reduce the activation of your leg muscles. Keep your chest up and your back straight throughout the movement.
Limited or poor performance of a squat will reduce its effectiveness. Shallow squats do not engage your glutes and hamstrings fully, and you'll miss out on a lot of the benefits of this exercise.
Many people lift their heels off the ground. Your weight should be distributed evenly throughout your feet with your heels firmly planted on the ground. Lifting your heels can reduce your stability and increase the risk of injury.
Squats should be performed through a full range of motion for maximum results so move within your limitations but work towards your perfect squat,
Exercise
Push-ups
Description:
To perform a push-up, start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, your feet together, and your body in a straight line.
Lower your body by bending your elbows and maintaining a fixed posture.
Lower your body until your chest touches the ground or your arms form a 90-degree angle.
Push through your palms to lift your body back to the starting position.
Push-ups are a bodyweight exercise that targets the muscles of the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core.
Recommendations:
It's important to warm up before performing push-ups. A few minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching can help prepare your muscles and joints for the exercise.
If you are unsure on how to prepare for a push-up please take a minute and visit our stretching and warm up section to prevent injury and achieve best results.
Maintaining proper form is crucial for safety and effectiveness. Keep your posture fixed an in a straight line throughout the movement. Engage your core muscles, and keep your elbows close to your body. Avoid arching your back or letting your hips sag.
If you're new to push-ups or haven't done them in a while, start with modified push-ups, where you keep your knees on the ground. This can help you build strength and master the proper form before attempting full push-ups.
Gradually increase difficulty: Once you feel comfortable with modified push-ups, you can gradually increase the difficulty by performing full push-ups, adding more reps or the speed at which a push-up is performed.
Vary your hand placement: You can change your hand placement to target different muscles. A wider hand placement can target the chest muscles more, while a narrower hand placement can target the triceps more.
Common Mistakes:
Arching the back during push-ups can put unnecessary stress on the lower back and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise so keep your body in a straight line throughout the movement.
Letting your hips sag can put unnecessary stress on your lower back and reduce the activation of your chest and arm muscles. Engage your core muscles and keep your body in a fixed straight line throughout the movement.
Flaring your elbows outward during push-ups can increase the risk of shoulder injury. Keep your elbows close to your body throughout the movement.
Don't rush the movement when performing push-ups. Take your time to lower your body and maintain control throughout the movement to prevent injury.
Exercise
One legged deep squats or Pistol squats
Description:
One legged deep squats or Pistol squats standing on one leg and lowering your body until your thigh is parallel to the ground, while the other leg is extended in front of you.
Keep your chest up, your back straight, and your arms out in front of you for balance.
Deep squats on both legs involve the same movement as traditional squats, but you lower your body as far down as you can past parallel to the ground to increase the range of motion and activation of your leg muscles.
It is only recommended deep squats be performed after professional recommendation
One legged deep squats or Pistol squats are effective variations of the traditional squat exercise that focus on strengthening the lower body, particularly the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
Recommendations:
It's important to warm up before performing deep squats. A few minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching can help prepare your muscles and joints for the exercise.
If you are unsure on how to prepare for a deep squat please take a minute and visit our stretching and warm up section to prevent injury and achieve best results.
Proper form is crucial for safety and effectiveness. Firstly. Master the form of traditional squats before attempting deep squats. Focus on keeping your chest up, your back straight, and your knees in line with your toes.
Start with bodyweight squats: If you're new to deep squats or haven't done them in a while, start with bodyweight only to master the proper form before attempting a deep squat.
Begin with using a support: When performing deep squats on one leg, use a wall or a sturdy object to support yourself until you build up the strength and balance to do the exercise without assistance.
Gradually increase difficulty: Once you feel comfortable with bodyweight deep squats, you can gradually increase the difficulty by holding dumbbells or a barbell, or by adding more reps, sets and repetition speed.
Always stretch after performing deep squats, stretch your leg muscles to prevent soreness and improve flexibility.
Exercise
The free arm lift
The free arm lift you is an exercise that targets the muscles in your shoulders and upper back. To perform the exercise:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
Keeping your arms straight, lift them in front of you until they are parallel to the ground.
Hold this position for a few seconds, then lower your arms back down to your sides.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
The free arm lift
To get the most out of the free arm lift of you:
Use a weight that challenges you, but that you can still lift with proper form.
Keep your core engaged and your back straight throughout the exercise.
Exhale as you lift your arms and inhale as you lower them.
Start with a lower number of repetitions (e.g., 8-10) and gradually work your way up to avoid overexerting yourself.
To avoid injury and ensure you're getting the most out of the exercise, be sure to avoid these common mistakes:
Letting your arms drop below parallel with the ground.
Arching your back or hunching your shoulders.
Using momentum to lift the weight rather than relying on your muscles.
Holding your breath or breathing too quickly.
Exercise
Lifting the pelvis
Description:
To perform the exercise, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
Engage your glutes and lift your pelvis up off the ground, pushing through your heels.
Keep your shoulders and head on the ground and hold the position for a few seconds before lowering your pelvis back down to the ground.
Lifting the pelvis lying down is an exercise that targets the glutes and can also engage the lower back and core muscles
Recommendations:
It is important to warm up before performing exercises that target the lower back and glutes. A few minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching can help prepare your muscles and joints for the exercise.
If you are unsure on how to prepare for pelvis exercises please take a minute and visit our stretching and warm up section to prevent injury and achieve best results.
Maintaining proper form is crucial for safety and effectiveness so maintain focus.
Keep your shoulders and head on the ground throughout the movement, engage your glutes, and push through your heels. Avoid arching your back or letting your knees flare out.
Once you feel comfortable with the movement, you can gradually increase the difficulty by adding weight or resistance bands around your lower torso, or by performing single-leg lifts.
Remember to breathe during the exercise. Inhale as you lower your pelvis and exhale as you lift it up.
To avoid injury and ensure you're getting the most out of the exercise, be sure to avoid these common mistakes:
Arching the back while targeting the pelvis can put unnecessary stress on the lower back and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. Keep your shoulders and head on the ground and engage your core muscles.
Letting your knees flare out during the exercise can reduce the activation of your glutes and increase the risk of knee injury. Keep your knees in line with your hips and push through your heels.
Using momentum to lift your pelvis reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. Focus on engaging your glutes and lifting your pelvis with controlled movements.
Don't rush the movement when performing the exercise. Take your time to lift your pelvis up and hold the position for a few seconds before lowering it back down to the ground.
Exercise
Abs
The Sit-Up exercise is an abdominal exercise that helps to strengthen the muscles of the core. To perform this exercise:
Lie on your back on a soft surface with your knees bent and feet shoulder-width apart.
Fold your arms across your chest or place them near your ears.
Raise your upper body towards your thighs, bending your torso forward and contracting your abdominal muscles.
Lower your upper body back down to the ground, controlling the movement.
Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions
The Sit-Up exercise
To perform the Sit-Up exercise effectively and safely, it is recommended to:
Start with a low number of repetitions to avoid straining your abdominal muscles.
Keep your hands across your chest or near your ears, but don't pull your head or neck.
Focus on contracting your abdominal muscles to ensure precise and controlled movements.
Use these lower torso muscles to raise your upper body, not your neck or head.
Remember to breathe naturally, without holding your breath.
To avoid injury and get the most out of the Sit-Up exercise, it is important to avoid the following mistakes:
Straining too hard can quickly cause muscle inflammation and is easily done with this exercise.
Raising your head and neck instead of using your abdominal muscles.
Twisting your body instead of raising your upper body towards your thighs.
Lowering your upper body too quickly or not controlling the movement.
Not allowing enough time for recovery between exercises.
And not using assistive solutions like resistance bands to help when starting and also a great core workout to add to your wellness programs.