Western PA Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic

Physical Therapy Exercises

Exercising daily plays a crucial role in the process of healing and recovering from injury or disease. This is the goal of physical therapy exercises. Stretching and strengthening activities
are only a few types of physical therapy exercises. Balance, joint control, and muscle re-training are other types of important physical therapy exercises.
Click on an exercise below for more information.

Exercises to Improve Balance
Loss of balance is common in certain medical conditions and the elderly. This can contribute to falls and difficulty walking. Learn simple exercises that will improve your balance skills.

Single Leg Stance
The single leg stance is a great exercise to improve balance deficits. It can be modified to increase difficulty level as you progress.

1-Leg Hover Step-up
No matter how old you are or what you prefer for your favorite physical activity, you can almost always benefit from developing or enhancing your balance.

Rehabilitation Exercises
There are many rehabilitation exercises to help in recovery from injury. This section will review a wide variety of therapeutic exercises.

Straight Leg Raise

The straight leg raise is an excellent exercise to strengthen the muscles of the hip. It is one of the first exercises done after hip or knee replacement surgery. Both effective and easy, the straight leg raise is a great rehabilitation technique.

Hamstring Stretching
Most people suffer from tight hamstrings due to the amount of time spent in the seated position while at work or school each day. For this reason many people will benefit from this easy stretch.

Strengthening Exercises
Increasing muscle strength is often a priority in recovering from a multitude of injury and disease. Learn various types of exercises to get the results you want.

Toe Raises
The calf muscle helps us take each step forward by allowing us to "push" off the ground. Toe raises are
an excellent way to strengthen this muscle group.

Leg Raises
An excellent way to strengthen the core muscles as well as the muscles around the hip joint. This exercise is often done after knee and hip replacement surgeries as well a
in patients with chronic back pain.

Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises are a good way to prevent injury. Learn simple stretches that can be done to increase your range of motion.

Thigh Muscle Stretches
The muscles of the thigh become tight due to the extended amount of time we spend in the seated position during the work day. For this reason it is important to stretch the thigh muscles frequently.

Easy Morning Stretches
Stretching first thing in the morning is a good way to waken up tired muscles. Incorporating this activity into your daily routine will help lengthen tight muscles and prevent injuries.

Post-Operative Exercises - After Hip Replacement
Exercising plays an important role in regaining function and strength after undergoing an operation.

Heel Slides
This exercise helps strengthen the quadricep muscles at the hip and the hamstring muslces at the knee.

Straight Leg Raises
Straight leg raises help strengthen the hip joint.

Gluteal Sets
Gluteal sets are easy exercises that help strengthen the gluteal muscles of the hip. Strong gluteal muscles help in hip extension as well as stabilization of the joint.