This real-time isometrics routine for the upper body features easy exercises that can help strengthen the upper body & relieve pain. It can also help decrease tightness and improve overall flexibility.
For this routine, you will not need any equipment, but you can use a wall to push in to and a strap for some modifications if you want.
Let’s begin with a quick 2 minute warm up to help get the muscles loose and ready to go. Shoulder circles, arm circles, shoulder squeezes, and trunk rotation in sitting will help the muscles get ready for the routine.
Starting off with neck isometric exercises are a great way to activate the muscles, but not make big movements that might cause pain. Neck flexion and neck side bend isometrics will help activate the muscles around the neck to improve stability and decrease pain.
Next, shoulder isometrics in standing are a great way to get the shoulder muscles stronger without increased pain. Shoulder flexion, abduction, adduction, and extension isometrics will work all the muscles around the shoulder and help increase stability.
Finally, back in a seated position, seated trunk rotation isometrics are great to work the upper body and the shoulder area as well.
Hot & cold therapy can help the healing process during an injury, and it can also help reduce acute and chronic pain. But which one should you use? Here are some general rules for using hot verses cold.
When it’s hard to take a deep breath, it can often be from tight chest and pec muscles from poor posture. These simple breathing exercises should help open up the chest area to help you breathe better.
People often have poor posture when they are working at a desk or gaming all day. These quick exercises will help improve bad posture fast, and they are easy to do at your desk or chair.
Active sitting is sitting on an unstable surface to help improve posture and strengthen core muscles. This can help relieve back pain and other issues from prolonged sitting. Active sitting became popular when people started using a Swiss ball or stability ball to sit on, but now there are a variety of chairs that do the same thing in a safer way.
Fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions can cause pain all over the body. This is often called widespread pain. The key to finding relief with stretches and exercises with these types of conditions is to find the right amount of intensity for you. Lying down while performing simple stretches and exercises often helps.
Yoga at bedtime can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better. Trudy, a registered yoga teacher and fellow Physical Therapist, stops by to show me a therapeutic yoga bedtime routine.
Struggling to get a good night’s sleep? You’re not alone! But here’s some good news: short strengthening exercises in the evening (like the ones in this video) can help improve sleep quality so you wake up refreshed.
This real-time therapeutic yoga routine features easy stretches that can help relax & relieve stress and anxiety throughout the body. It can also help decrease tightness in the muscles and improve overall flexibility.
Exercising your tendons isn't something most people think about since tendons aren’t muscles, but tendon-specific exercises can improve joint health, reduce pain and stiffness, and improve speed and agility.
