Your Shelter In Place Exercise List To Stay Flexible During COVID-19

Let me first say that all of us at HPT are missing our friends and our patients that we are no longer seeing since the Pandemic.  We hope you are staying home and staying safe.  All of our routines are different now than they were a month ago and with those changes are potential issues.

-Most of us are sitting more which can cause an increased incidence of back and neck pain.  A good strategy is to get up every 30-45 minutes and walk around for a few minutes.  Since sitting is primarily a flexion activity, we recommend back bends after sitting for a 30-45 minute period of time.  Do it with your back up against your kitchen counter, so you don't lose your balance.
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Back bends: 

-As I drive around Huntington I see beautiful flowers, shrubs, trees and grass; not to mention  many more people working in their yards.  A good strategy to prevent back and neck pain as a result of this is to stand up every 15 minutes and spend 2-3 minutes bending backwards and looking up toward the sky.
 
Neck retraction and extension:

​-Too much sitting can also cause weakness in the legs and poor balance.  A good strategy here is to straighten your legs for 1-2 minutes every 30 minutes while sitting.
 
Hamstring stretch/knee extension:

​-Another helpful activity is raising up on your toes 20 times and raising your toes 20 times.  Place your hand on a surface to steady yourself.  Do 4-5 X per day.
 
Heel raises:

​-Upper back posture is also impacted by too much sitting.  Increased flexion of the upper back can affect the function of the neck and shoulders.  A good way to combat this is to place a rolled towel or lumbar roll behind you at the level of the lower shoulder blades while sitting, pull shoulder blades back and lean backwards.  Hold 3-5 seconds 10 X.  Do every 30 minutes.
 
Chair extension:

-Another good idea is standing with your back against the wall.  Pull shoulder blades together, hold for 5 seconds 10X, then push arms back against the wall and hold 5 seconds 10X.  

​Scapular retraction: 

​-While you are at the wall turn around and place your hands against the wall.  Slide your hands against the wall to keep shoulders flexible.
 
​Wall slide:

-Those of you who have had surgery for total knees, total hips, rotator cuff repairs, back surgery or any of the myriad of surgeries we see all the time should continue your home exercise programs during this period.
 
-It is a good idea to get outside for a walk and fresh air as long as you can maintain social distancing guidelines.  Do some deep breathing while walking.  It helps the isolation to walk with a friend if you maintain at least 6' from the other person.  Raising your body temperature has been shown to boost your immune system, so exercise a little more vigorously than usual to achieve a higher body temperature.
 
​-Please take extra precautions at home while doing maintenance and other tasks. Be careful on step stools so you do not fall.  Be careful while cleaning out low cabinets not to bump your head when getting up. (I know this from personal experience).  A mishap would be more difficult to take care of during present circumstances, but not impossible.  Our staff is here from 7am -12 noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 1pm-6pm Tuesdays and Thursdays if you would like to talk to us, 304-525-4445. If you hurt yourselves and want one of our therapists to take a look at you, we can do that.  We are wearing masks and would appreciate it if you would wear one also.  Attached are our e-mails if you would like to reach out with questions or any issues you may have.  As in the past almost 40 years we are here for you.
 
Sally Oxley PT – soxley@hptservices.com
John Oxley PT - joxley@hptservices.com
Mark Taylor PT - mtaylor@hptservices.com
Aleacha Wallington PT - awallington@hptservices.com
Kelly  Collier PT– kcollier@hptservices.com
Amy DeMoss PT - awright@hptservices.com
Derrick White PT - dwhite@hptservices.com

​           To Schedule An Appointment Call 
                            304.525.4445

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Sally Oxley      
PT, CHT, OCS, Cert. MDT