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By Gene Antunes, Physical Therapist Assistant, RWJBarnabas Health Ambulatory Care Center
Sticking to your home exercise program (HEP) can feel like another chore, but it’s crucial for your recovery and long-term health. Here are simple, effective strategies to make your HEP an easy, automatic part of your day, not a burden.
1. Snippets of Strength Throughout Your Day
Instead of carving out a big block of time, break your HEP into tiny pieces throughout the day. Small actions done often create strong habits.
- One exercise during a TV commercial.
- One while your coffee brews.
- One after brushing your teeth.
2. Habit Stacking
Attach your exercises to something you already do every day. Linking exercises to established habits makes them automatic.
- After your last work email. For example: shoulder stretches.
- While the microwave runs. For example: calf raises.
3. Make it Visible and Accessible
If equipment is hidden, it won’t get used. Visual cues keep you accountable.
- Keep resistance bands on your chair.
- Keep your exercise ball near the sofa.
- Tape your printout to the fridge or bathroom mirror.
4. Plan a Time, Not A Task
Don’t just write “Do HEP.” Schedule a 10-minute window in your calendar and treat it like a meeting you can’t skip. Set a reminder or alarm as your start cue.
5. Use a “Trigger Object”
Choose a small item, like a stress ball, coin, or hair tie, and place it somewhere you’ll see it throughout the day. Every time you see it, you do one exercise, then move the object.
It becomes a built-in reminder loop.
6. Track Wins, Not Misses
Use a calendar or app and mark the days you complete your HEP. Watching those check marks add up is motivating and far more encouraging than focusing on days you miss.
7. The 2-Minute Rule
Tell yourself you only have to do the first two minutes. Starting is the hardest part and once you begin, you’ll often finish the whole routine anyway.
8. Associate Exercise with Pain Relief
If certain exercises bring immediate relief, mentally label them as your “relief moves.” When symptoms flare, you’ll naturally turn to your HEP, reinforcing consistency.
9. Celebrate Mini Milestones
Did you complete your HEP three days in a row? Reward yourself with a small treat, like a good coffee. Positive reinforcement works for everyone!
Consistency is key in physical therapy. Tiny adjustments to when, where, and how you do your HEP can create big changes in your recovery.
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The experienced and compassionate staff at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center Rehabilitation Centers, with locations in West Orange and Livingston, offers adults and children the specialized care they need to resume an active life after surgery, injury or illness. Staff is committed to providing patients with the most advanced services in a safe, caring and soothing environment. For high-risk patients who are unable to visit in person, telehealth is an option. Patients do not need a prescription for physical therapy services.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 973-322-7500.