“No strain, no gain”: Doing home exercise the right way

Many people have transitioned their exercising from a gym to home over the past couple years, and without the trainers and other people around you to urge you on, it’s easy to get sloppy and slip into bad habits. We asked a Cape Cod Healthcare physical therapist for tips and reminders about how to exercise without injury.

First and most importantly, listen to your body, said Jennifer Avery, PT, MS, a physical therapist with Cape Cod Healthcare Rehabilitation Services at the Orleans Marketplace location.

“None of us anticipated that the pandemic would last for more than two years, so this time has disrupted everyone’s exercise routines,” she said. “If you feel you are out of shape, don’t think that’s only happened to you.”

Avery admitted she used to attend yoga classes twice a week but hasn’t gone to a class in the last two years. She isn’t alone.

A new study published in Preventive Medicine looked at research that shows dramatic declines in physical activity during the pandemic across the globe—even among people not stricken with COVID-19. Researchers looked at a number of cross-sectional studies, all of which showed similar results: a marked decline in physical activity, which correlated with higher depression and anxiety symptoms. One survey conducted in Australia found a nearly 50% decline in physical activity among adults since the pandemic began.

Listening to your body will help you exercise in a way that keeps you injury free, said Avery, who cautioned, “If you are out of shape, don’t try to jump into exercise at a level where you last left off. Build up and go at a pace that makes sense for you.”

Above all, get moving and keep moving, she encouraged.

Avery has these tips to help you exercise safely at home.

• Warm up and cool down. Avery said this is important and recommended five to ten minutes for each.

  “Make your warmup before your actual exercise dynamic, don’t just stretch,” she said. “For instance, if you’re riding a stationary bike, do a gentle warmup on the bike first. If you’re going to run, do a five to ten-minute walk first. Stretches are good for your cooldown.”

• Hydrate. Drink water before, during and after any type of workout to avoid cramps, fatigue and other cognitive issues, Avery said, supporting the recommendation of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). Caffeinated energy drinks are not recommended since they can lead to dehydration. Here are tips about sports drinks.

• Don’t push it! Make sure you are listening to your body, Avery said. She always tells her patients to pay attention to how their bodies feel while exercising, and if there’s pain, recognize it, back off and reassess before you push any harder and potentially cause harm.

  “Whoever said ‘no pain, no gain’ should have made it ‘no strain, no gain.’ If you are exercising, you have to push a little, but if you have pain, especially pain in a joint, that’s usually a sign to pull back a little. There are rare occasions when it’s advised to push through pain, and that’s usually done with the advice of an MD or PT,” she said.

• Make space to exercise safely. This is a great point that can so easily be overlooked, according to Avery. Be aware that improvised home workout spaces “sometimes have too little space, which effects how you can exercise,” she said. “If you can move some things such as small furniture and other items to safely to ensure enough exercise space, I think that’s good. Or go outside,” she said.

• Use the right shoes. Your shoes should be supportive, non-slip and protect your toes, she said, adding: “If you’re doing a plank or pushup, you might be using your toes so a good shoe will help. If you’re using weights, shoes will be protective in case you drop something on your toes.”

• Cross-train. (Cross-training is doing a variety of exercises, including cardio and strength or resistance training.) Varying your fitness activities can help you stay motivated as well as healthy, and Avery said cross-training is hugely important.
  
  “I think a lot of people think weight loss is all about cardio, but strength training also helps with weight loss,” she said. “Strengthening muscles can also help protect your joints. With strength training, there are some exercises that are more functional than others. Think about the specific activities you want and need to be able to do, then design a workout to achieve those activities.”

• Ask a professional. If you have questions about exercise or starting an exercise regime, contact your doctor or a physical therapist. Through direct access, you can go directly to a physical therapist, Avery explained; however, in Massachusetts, medical insurance won’t pay for physical therapy unless you have a physician’s referral. Online classes are another consideration. Here’s a link to helpful information about that.