Supercharging Your Rehab at Home: My Home Rehab Kit
by Dr. Rhianna Green, Contributor
In Pt. 1 of our Supercharging Your Rehab at Home series, Dr. Rhianna Green explains the tools you’ll need to perform rehab and recovery exercises at home. See more from this series here.
It never fails. It seems like every time you’re finally hitting a groove during training, you start to feel some pain. It can be tempting to try to power through it, but pain can be a warning that you need to give your body some care. At times like these, you’ll want to pull out your personal rehab kit to prevent things worsening in the pain department.
As many rack up more miles as part of their favorite social distancing activity (or for those who are embarking on a new running journey), it’s never been more important to understand how to recover at home.
Here are a few essential items to keep in your home rehab arsenal to take care of stressed and overworked muscles.
Jump Rope
Before any activity, a warm-up is necessary. Jump rope is a great generalized, aerobic exercise that can increase heart rate. Prior to running, lifting weights, or a HIIT workout, start by jumping for 5 minutes, using continuous movements or intervals. Jumping rope improves running endurance while decreasing pressure on your joints. It’s great if you can’t get a run in, or if you want to switch up your routine to reduce injury.
Lacrosse/Tennis or Baseball
Use any firm ball like these to release tight muscles. Stand against a wall or lay on the floor to use the ball by applying pressure on trigger points (“muscle knots”); think knots under your shoulder blade, lower back, etc. This release technique can cause discomfort, but no bruising should occur. You should feel immediate relief of localized or deep muscle soreness.
Foam Roller
The foam roller is great for releasing muscle tightness in larger muscles. By lying on the foam roller, you decrease soreness by rolling the foam roller back and forth. Again, body weight can be applied while using it against a wall or on the ground. Foam rollers can also be used for core strengthening. Lying supine on the foam roller to perform exercises uses the instability of the surface, increases the difficulty and assists the body’s neuromuscular reaction.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands are light and travel-well. You can utilize these for upper and lower body exercises to aid stability, reaction, functional training, and performance. A general rule of thumb is to start with 3 sets of 10 reps. As you progress, increase repetitions to 15. Once you can easily complete 3 sets of 15, increase the resistance with a tighter band or multiple bands.
Stretch Strap
Maintain muscle length, improve flexibility and increase joint range of motion with a stretch strap. Stretching should not be painful; however, strong enough for you to feel the muscle length for a prolonged duration. Hold for 15-30 seconds for deep static stretching. Complete 3-5 repetitions to allow your body to adapt to the new muscle length.
This at-home rehab kit does not replace medical advice but allows for accountability in ensuring your body is prepared for fitness. Be equipped for minor setbacks and prevent major hurdles in your fitness journey by listening to your body. You only have one body, take care of it!
Check out this infographic for a quick guide on how to use each piece of your home rehab kit for maximum results.
View or download full-size infographic
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Medical Disclaimer: The information contained above does not and is not intended to convey medical advice and does not constitute the practice of medicine. Always seek the advice of a physician before beginning any fitness program. See full terms of use for additional details.
Dr. Rhianna Green, PT, DPT
Dr. Rhianna Green is a sports and orthopedic physical therapist in Washington, DC. Dr. Green has spent the last 7 years treating novice to professional athletes and was the physical therapist for “Beautiful: The Carole King Story” on Broadway. She is certified in dry needling, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and as a Certified Sports and Orthopedic Manual Therapist. Dr. Green is also a Board member of the National Association for Black Physical Therapists. When she isn’t running half marathons or treating patients, she is usually traveling or visiting botanical gardens.