Physical Therapy Exercises Explained

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Core and Lower Body:

•  Partial Crunches (Bent Knees)
  • Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Lift your shoulders a few inches off the floor while keeping your lower back down. Slowly lower back to the mat.
• Wall Sits
  • Stand with your back against a wall and slide down until your knees are bent like you’re sitting in a chair. Hold the position while keeping your core tight.
• Pelvic Tilts
  • Lie on your back with knees bent. Gently tighten your stomach and press your lower back flat into the floor. Release and repeat.
• Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
  • Kneel on one knee with the other foot forward. Lean your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of the back-leg hip.
• Horizontal Squat Stretch
  • Stand with feet wide, bend your knees into a squat, and push your knees out with your elbows. Keep your chest lifted.
• Standing Inner Thigh Stretch
  • Stand with feet wide. Shift your weight to one side, bending that knee while keeping the other leg straight to stretch the inner thigh.
• Seated Butterfly Stretch
  • Sit with the soles of your feet together. Gently press your knees toward the floor for an inner-thigh stretch.
• Standing Hip Abductions
  • Stand tall and lift one leg out to the side without leaning your body. Lower with control.

Shoulders, Back and Chest:

• Shoulder Rolls
  • Relax your arms and slowly roll your shoulders forward, then backward, in smooth circles.
• One-Arm Pectoral Stetch
  • Stand sideways next to a wall. Place one hand on the wall and gently turn your body away to stretch the chest.
• Wall Pushups
  • Stand arm’s length from a wall. Place hands on the wall and lower your chest toward it, then push back.
• Posterior Cross-Body Stretch
  • Bring one arm across your chest. Use your other arm to gently pull it in for a shoulder stretch.
• Lateral Shoulder Flys
  • Stand with arms at your sides. Lift both arms out to shoulder height, then lower them slowly. Can be done with or without light weights.
• Supported Shoulder Extensor Stretch
  • Hold onto a counter or table with both hands, step back, and gently drop your chest toward the floor to stretch the back of the shoulders.
• Shoulder-Blade Squeeze
  • Sit or stand tall. Pinch your shoulder blades together and hold briefly, then relax.
• Doorway Stretch
  • Stand in a doorway with elbows bent at 90°. Step forward to stretch your chest and shoulders.
• Reverse Fly Stretch (with or without resistance)
  • Bend slightly at the hips with a flat back. Open your arms out to the sides like wings, squeezing your shoulder blades.
• Lawn Mower Pull Stretch
  • Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your hand near the opposite knee and pull it back diagonally like starting a lawn mower. Great for mid-back activation.
• High-to-Low Rows
  • Attach a band high. Pull the band down toward your ribs while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Side-Lying External Rotation
  • Lie on your side with your elbow at your side and bent 90°. Rotate your forearm upward while keeping the elbow tucked in.

Forearm and Wrists:

• Wrist Extensor Stretch
  • Extend one arm forward with your palm down. Use the other hand to gently pull your fingers toward the floor.
• Forearm Extensor Stretch
  • Extend on arm forwarm with your palm down. Use the other hand to deeply pull your fingers toward the floor to feel the stretch through the top of the forearm.
• Wrist Flexor Stretch
  • Extend your arm forward, palm up. Pull your fingers gently back toward you.
• Resisted Wrist Flexion (With A Light Weight)
  • Rest your forearm on your leg or a bench, palm up, with your wrist hanging off. Curl the weight up using your wrist only.
• Resisted Wrist Extension (With A Light Weight)
  • Same setup, but with palm facing down. Lift the weight using the back of your wrist.
• Isometric Wrist Extension
  • Place your hand palm-down against a table or your other hand. Try to lift your hand upward without letting it move.
• Sock/Ball Squeezes
  • Hold a rolled sock or stress ball. Squeeze and release to build hand strength.
• Resisted Wrist Turns
  • Hold a light weight or small object. Rotate your wrist palm-up to palm-down and back with control.
• Towel Twists
  • Hold a rolled towel with both hands. Twist it as if wringing out water to strengthen wrist and forearm muscles.

Foot, Ankle, and Lower Leg

• Eccentric Heel Drops (Heel Drop On Stairs)
  • Stand on a step with heels hanging off. Lift up with both feet, then slowly lower down on one foot. Switch sides.
• Toe-to-Wall Stretch
  • Stand facing a wall with your toes close to it. Lean your knee toward the wall to stretch the lower calf/Achilles.
• Soleus Stretch
  • Stand in a staggered stance. Bend both knees and lean forward slightly to target the lower calf (soleus).
• Tower Calf Stretch
  • Sit with legs straight. Loop a towel around the ball of your foot and gently pull back to stretch the calf.
• Standing Calf Stretch
  • Step one foot back and press the heel down while keeping the back knee straight. Lean into the stretch.
• Sitting Toe-Raises
  • Sit with feet flat. Lift your toes up while keeping your heels on the ground. Lower slowly.
• Resisted Plantar Flexion
  • Wrap a band around the ball of your foot. Point your toes downward against the resistance, then return slowly.
• Heel Raises
  • Stand tall and lift your heels off the ground onto your toes. Lower down with control.
• Anterior Compartment Stretch
  • Sit or stand and point your toes downward to stretch the front of your shin (tibialis anterior)
• Seated Plantar Fascia Stretch
  • Cross one leg over the other. Pull your toes back toward your shin to stretch the arch of your foot.
• Wall-Facing Calf Stretch
  • Stand close to a wall with one foot back. Lean forward and press the back heel into the ground.
• Toe Towel Scrunches (Seated or Standing)
  • Place a towel on the floor and curl it toward you using your toes only.
• Plantar Fascia Massage (Frozen Bottle or Ball)
  • Roll your arch over a frozen water bottle, lacrosse ball, or small massage ball.
• Calf Wall Stretch
  • Place your hands on a wall and step one foot back. Keep the heel down and lean forward for a calf stretch.

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