After an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, exercise can be started as soon as the woman feels able to exercise, and has been cleared by her physician or midwife.
Pelvic floor strengthening. Exercises should be resumed as soon after the birth as possible. These exercises may increase circulation and aid healing of lacerations or episiotomy. Combining pelvic floor […]

As the abdomen enlarges, it becomes impossible to comfortably assume the prone position. Exercises that are usually performed in the prone position must be modified.
Standing Push-Ups
Patient position and procedure. Standing, facing a wall, feet pointing straight forward, shoulder-width apart, and approximately an arm-length away from the wall. The palms are placed on the wall at […]

There are some circumstances where exercise is contraindicated or requires very specific restrictions and precautions.
Absolute Contraindications
• Incompetent cervix: early dilation of the cervix before the pregnancy is full term
• Vaginal bleeding, especially second or third trimester
• Placenta previa: placenta is located on the uterus in a position where it may detach before the baby is […]

Physiological Effects of Aerobic Exercise During Pregnancy
Many women who have been doing aerobic exercises choose to continue exercising during pregnancy to maintain their cardiopulmonary fitness. Maternal and fetal responses have been well studied; therefore this information is used to guide both the therapist and the patient in determining necessary modifications to an existing exercise program.
Maternal […]

Chest mobilization exercises are any exercises that combine active movements of the trunk or extremities with deep breathing.21,60 They are designed to maintain or improve mobility of the chest wall, trunk, and shoulder girdles when it affects ventilation or postural alignment. For example, a patient with hypomobility of the trunk muscles on one side of […]

Progressively Increase Flexibility and Strength
• Stretching and strengthening exercises are progressed as the joint tissue tolerates. The patient should be actively involved in self-stretching and strengthening by this time, so emphasis during treatment is on correct mechanics, safe progressions, and exercise strategies for return to function.
• If capsular tissue is still restricting ROM, vigorous manual […]

Despite the number of sources in the literature that emphasize the importance of rehabilitation programs or, more specifically, a postoperative exercise and ambulation program after THA, the impact of these postoperative interventions has not been clearly established. The NIH reported that there is currently insufficient evidence to determine what constitutes an appropriate level of physical […]

The use of therapeutic exercise interventions for patients after THA has been reported in the literature for several decades. Although the time frame for and extent of patient-therapist contact have decreased substantially since these early descriptive reports were published, the ultimate goal of rehabilitation remains the same: to optimize a patient’s postoperative level of function. […]

Frequency
Frequency in a resistance exercise program refers to the number of exercise sessions per day or per week. As with other aspects of dosage, frequency is dependent on other determinants, such as intensity and volume as well as the patient’s goals, general health status, previous participation in a resistance exercise program, and response to training. […]

In resistance training the volume of exercise is the summation of the total number of repetitions and sets of a particular exercise during a single exercise session multiplied by the resistance used. The same combination of repetitions and sets is not and should not be used for all muscle groups.
There is an inverse relationship between […]

Just as correct alignment and effective stabilization are basic elements of manual muscle testing and dynamometry, they are also crucial in resistance exercise. To strengthen a specific muscle or muscle group effectively and avoid substitute motions, appropriate positioning of the body and alignment of a limb or body segment are essential. Substitute motions are compensatory […]

The use of resistance exercise in rehabilitation and conditioning programs has a substantial impact on all systems of the body. Resistance training is equally important for patients with impaired muscle performance and individuals who wish to improve or maintain their level of fitness, enhance performance, or reduce the risk of injury. When body systems are […]

The SAID principle (specific adaptation to imposed demands) suggests that a framework of specificity is a necessary foundation on which exercise programs should be built. This principle applies to all body systems and is an extension of Wolff’s law (body systems adapt over time to the stresses placed on them). The SAID principle helps therapists […]

A guiding principle of exercise prescription that has been one of the foundations on which the use of resistance exercise to improve muscle performance is based is the overload principle. Simply stated, if muscle performance is to improve, a load that exceeds the metabolic capacity of the muscle must be applied; that is, the muscle […]

The three elements of muscle performance strength, power, and endurance can be enhanced by some form of resistance exercise. To what extent each of these elements is altered by exercise depends on how the principles of resistance training are applied and how factors such as the intensity, frequency, and duration of exercise are manipulated. Because […]

Regardless of the type of therapeutic exercise interventions in a patient’s exercise program, safety is a fundamental consideration in every aspect of the program whether the exercises are performed independently or under a therapist’s supervision. Patient safety, of course, is paramount; nonetheless, the safety of the therapist must also be considered, […]

Therapeutic exercise procedures embody a wide variety of activities, actions, and techniques. The techniques selected for an individualized therapeutic exercise program are based on a therapist’s determination of the underlying cause or causes of a patient’s impairments, functional limitations, or disability.The types of therapeutic exercise interventions presented here are listed below. Additional […]