Physical rehabilitation at home: How to do home exercises. Legs and body

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, millions of people after injuries and neurological diseases that need physical therapy are now stuck at home without access to physiotherapy facilities. This Guide aims to support people in need of therapy during quarantine and provide them with simple but effective advice on how to recover at home.

HIP FLEXION/EXTENSION

Holding onto the back of a chair for balance, bend your trunk forward and slowly raise your right leg straight behind you. Lift it as high as you can without bending your knee or pitching forward. Pause. Slowly lower the leg, returning to the starting position. Do four to six repetitions. Repeat with the left leg. Build up gradually to eight to 12 repetitions. For added resistance, wear an ankle weight on the leg you are lifting.

HIP ABDUCTION/ADDUCTION

Standing up, keep your upper body straight, and try not to swing your body. Keep your knee straight and pull your toes up towards you. Bring your leg across your body and slowly come back. Keep your upper body straight again, and try not to swing your body. Keep your knee straight, pull your toes up towards you. Bring your leg out to the side leading with your heel, and slowly come back down.

HIP INTERNAL/EXTERNAL ROTATION

Stand in start position on your left leg, letting your right leg hover off the ground before externally rotating your right femur so your toes point to the right. Maintain the external rotation of the right leg as you begin to turn your head and torso toward the left. Take the right leg into internal rotation (so the toes point inward) before turning your torso to look toward the right. Return to start position. Maintain the external rotation of the right leg as you begin to turn your head and torso toward the left. Take the right leg into internal rotation (so the toes point inward) before turning your torso to look toward the right.

KNEE FLEXION/EXTENSION

For knee flexion sit toward the front of a sturdy chair. Bend your knee by slowly sliding your foot back-and-forth, resting briefly as needed. Try to move your foot back farther each time as you are able. You can use your hands to help. Do this for a few minutes as a warm up. You may want to use a plastic bag under your foot to help it slide easier. Slowly bend your knee back until you feel a gentle stretch. Scoot your body forward on the chair to increase the stretch as you are able. Your heel may lift from the floor but do not lift your hip. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Return to the starting position and relax. Repeat 3 times. For knee extension sit on a sturdy chair with your lower leg on an equal height chair or solid surface in front of you. Relax your muscles to let your knee straighten. You should feel a gentle stretch on the back of your knee. You can do thigh squeezes to increase the stretch. Do this stretch for 5 to 10 minutes.

STANDING LUMBAR FLEXION

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Be sure you have enough space around you to move about without bumping into anything. Slowly bend yourself forward by sliding your hands down the front of your thighs. Reach down as far as you can and let your low back bend forward. To add overpressure and increase the amount of stretch on your back, grab your ankles and gently pull yourself into more forward flexion. Hold the end position for a second or two, and then slowly return to your starting position.

STANDING LUMBAR EXTENSION

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on the small of your back. Slowly bend your spine back as far as you comfortably can. Hold the end position for a few seconds, then return to a fully upright position. Repeat for 10 repetitions.

BACK SIDE TO SIDE (LATERAL FLEXION)

Place your hands on your hips with your feet about as wide as your shoulders. Bend to each side while moving your eyes to the side that you are bending. Let the arm on the side that you are bending over slide down along your leg. Hold for a count of fifteen and repeat to the opposite side. Repeat this 3 times.

THORACO-LUMBAR SIDE BENDING (ROTATION)

Start by standing up with your arms by your sides. Then, bringing your attention to your upper spine, starting rotating (spinning) your upper spine from one side to the other. Your arms will be flopping around your body, and you can just let them do so, allowing them to be completely relaxed. Noticing the tendency of the hips to move here, however seeing if you can leave your hips staying still and facing forward while your upper spine is moving from one side to the other. The longer you stay, the more fluidity you will feel in your spine.

Want to learn more? Check our other articles on physical rehabilitation at home: How to do home exercises. Hands and arms and How to motivate yourself.

We believe that these simple but effective tips will help you to improve home rehabilitation and successfully pass through the coronavirus period! Stay healthy, safe and happy!