Done with Physical Therapy? Now what?: 3 BIG Mistakes People Make After PT

You finished PT—now what? Most people stop too soon or go back to old habits, undoing all that progress. Avoid these 3 common mistakes and discover how to build lasting strength and confidence with your health for the rest of your life.

1. You Stop Moving Altogether.

You graduate from your PT and now ends all of the structure, routine, and consistency that accompanied all of your fantastic work! People often think that moving on from the clinic means they're cured but without a plan, it is easy to slide back into inactivity and sedentary habits. This is the absolute worst thing you can do, and then to no one's surprise the pain returns fast and with a vengeance.

Sadly, if you don't continue to strengthen and work on that area, the problem is guaranteed to resurface. This is why it is essential to find workouts that are 1.) optimized to your injury or condition and 2.) enjoyable and one's that YOU WILL DO CONSISTENTLY!

2. Don't Trust Your Body Yet

You're frustrated. You know you are “cleared” but mentally feel stuck, second-guessing every movement with half-assed faith in your abilities— you're worried that one wrong move will send you right back to square one. Even after a successful rehab, you just feel unsure about your body’s ability to move, bend, or just operate like the way it was before.

It's common to be cautious and unsure even after PT, but start with small progressions and build upon them. Establishing smaller steps leading up to one larger goal really helps build confidence and helps individuals understand the process. While it may not be overnight, this is how post-PT specialists like myself bridge the gap from "basic" PT rehab goals to the highest of fitness standards.

3. Not Training Smart

You've gotten over your fear but you still feel like you're not at your best post-injury. During your workout you find yourself sticking to the exercises you are good at and skipping the exercises that feel risky, slightly challenging, or uncomfortable. But this is how long-term imbalances and compensations arise as muscles that aren't supposed to do the job are now tasked with doing so because the targeted area is still too weak or compromised.

To offset this risk, the body must re-learn how to move not just like before, but even better.

It's up to you to help optimize it's patterns through exercise which helps it to adapt and progress efficiently in it's recovery. Don't neglect the small muscles and start focusing on your stabilizers. Prioritize proper range of motion before proceeding with any challenging resistance. Most importantly however, do not rush! This isn't a race and there are absolutely no benefits for you in rushing the process.

What You Need to Know

• Will You Be a Statistic?

  • Your body is tougher than you give it credit for, but only if you train it to be that way!

    Over 60% of injuries recur within the first 6 months after PT if the person doesn’t follow a structured follow-up workout program (National Institutes of Health, 2022). At that point this injury would become a chronic issue, increasing the risk for recurrence even more.

    
    

• Muscle Guarding

  • This is where smaller muscles "compensate" and remain tight from overuse and 24/7 protection around the problem area. These are the brain's self-defense mechanisms that remember pain previous instances of injury and subconsciously protects you from it. Even if the injury is healed years out, it can make people move with hesitation, which ironically inhibits any healing as your body needs that challenge to get better. As problematic as it sounds a good strength training and stretching routine can provide tremendous relief in fixing this.

    
    

• The Routine You Need

  • There will be a point when your injury will no longer be a point of concern or anxiety, it just takes consistency and effort to get there. As long as you remain confident and purposeful in your workouts and find one you'll enjoy, you'll be fine! A smart trainer will help you find that and show you that the real progress you've been looking for begins after rehab—and that’s where KB Fit Training comes in.

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