Keeping our bodies healthy and active can be a chore. A well-balanced diet and regular exercise are important but not always fun. Even Zumba class can get old after some time. But there are things we can do to liven up our daily need for movement and luckily, they don’t need to cost a lot.

1. Batch Cooking

Do you want to get your steps in on a recovery day? Maybe you take Sunday’s off from the gym, but you don’t want to be a complete sloth. Try a couple of hours of meal prep before the week gets started. Begin with an easy internet search for some yummy recipes or perhaps discover a food that’s new to you.

2. Mowing the Lawn

The last thing many of us want to do is trudge up and down the lawn in the hot summer sun but this aerobic exercise can burn over 300 calories an hour. It all depends on the type of mower and the terrain, but this activity will keep you fit and make your home look great.

3. Gliding … in your living room

Gliding discs are an uncommon but effective workout that is easy and fun. Like sliding on hardwood floors when we wear socks, these inexpensive plastic discs can be used on carpet, tile and wood flooring without damaging the surface. These discs engage the entire body to maintain balance while working out the legs and booty.

4. Intense Stair Climbing

Have you heard of competitive stair climbing? Yup, there are athletes that race up the stairs of the Empire State Building. Maybe climbing up an Aztec ruin isn’t realistic, but even if you live in a single-story home, there are probably stairs near you. Just look at your office or go to a local park. Don’t fret if there is only one set of steps. Just climb the same flight until your heart rate is elevated.

5. Housework

Chores, whether it’s washing dishes, taking out the trash or vacuuming, are all necessary but uninspiring tasks that come with being an adult. Next time you sit down to watch a show, get up and clean every time a commercial comes on. Challenge yourself to get a task done within the commercial break. If you are paying for a streaming service that doesn’t have commercials, then set a timer to go off every 10-15 minutes and then set it again for 2-3 minute chore breaks. Like mowing the lawn, your body will get the movement it needs, and you also get a nicer living environment.

Make huge strides in aerobic fitness by using these fun and alternative ways to get your heart pounding. Keep it interesting by adding variety to your daily routine and the long-term health benefits are inevitable.

If you need help finding ways to be active ask your physical therapist.  PTs specialize in movement and can be a great resource!

This guest post was written by Erika Long. She loves corgis, curry and comedy. Always searching for the next great snuggle, flavor or laugh, she inspires people to live their best life now. When not writing, Erika can be found at her local brewery dominating Harry Potter trivia night.

Recumbent bikes are fantastic pieces of gym equipment for rehabilitation and physical therapy. Their design and intent make them easy to use, with little strain on sore or injured joints, tendons, and ligaments. They also allow you to strengthen muscles during the process of recovering and after.

What is a Recumbent Bike?

A recumbent bike is a stationary bicycle that has a bucket seat. Instead of sitting directly over the pedals, the pedals are more forward centered on the machine. This makes it easier to use the bike, putting less strain on your knees, back, and hips, all while strengthening your muscles.

Recumbent bikes are seen in home gyms, fitness centers, and physical therapy rehabilitation facilities. Sometimes they are used simultaneously with a traditional upright pedal bike. However, they are typically used more as a graduated process, from a recumbent to a conventional bicycle.

Why are Recumbent Bikes Used in Physical Therapy?

Due to their design, recumbent bikes put less strain on your back, hips, and knees. When you are recovering from injury or surgery, the goal is to rehabilitate you back to the point you were before that event. Sometimes, depending on the circumstances, this can take considerable time. Starting slow is a good way of reducing the risk of hurting yourself, all while providing gentle exercises to regain lost muscle tone and strength.

While you can use a recumbent bike for strength training, they are more often used as a way to work the same muscle groups as an upright bike, but with less trauma to the joints. If you have arthritis or a tendon injury, a recumbent bike is a great starter bike to get you on the road to recover or, at least, be more active.

Recumbent bikes do provide a cardio workout with less strain on the heart. With a goal of increasing heart rate and blood circulation, you can still get a great cardio workout with less stress on your joints.

If you have balance issues, a recumbent bike is often recommended over an upright bike. For patients recovering from a stroke, they can get a cardio workout in, without the worry of falling off the bike. Since you are seated and can be seat-belted in for added safety, a recumbent bike is a good alternative.

Some physicians specifically write their orders that no upright bikes be used for the treatment of their patients. This is because an upright requires you to have a weight-bearing tolerance for standing and mounting the machine. With a good recumbent bike, you can move the seat to the side, and the patient can get on the bike with minimal stress. If they are recovering from back, hip, or knee issues, this is an important differentiating feature between the two types of bikes.

Can You Do Resistance Training on Recumbent Bike?

Yes, you can do resistance training on a recumbent bike. Depending on the model and style of the bike, there are various ways to increase the resistance. If you are rehabbing an injury, the amount of resistance you will want to use will be minimal, so that you don’t hurt yourself. However, you can increase the amount of resistance, giving you a great workout as you heal and progress.

If you are using a recumbent bike in a home gym, you can get a fantastic cardio workout without straining your back and hips.

Recumbent bikes are a great tool in the physical therapy realm. They are also extremely beneficial for home and fitness gyms where you may have some limitations but still desire a great cardio workout.

Please consult your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program. For help finding a workout that fits your lifestyle and ability levels don’t hesitate to call your physical therapist. They have the expertise and skills needed to help keep you active and safely avoid injuries during sports and exercise.

Periodization is an important technique utilized with training in order to maximize gains, whether it be through increased aerobic performance, speed, and strength. This guide outlines simple tips customizing training programs to prevent plateauing with training and improve performance. By no means is this an exhaustive guide, or an end all be all in regards to what specific exercises to perform to improve function or performance. For specifics on what exercises to perform, this depends on what goals you seek to achieve and physical characteristics, which can be outlined by a physical therapist or certified strength and conditioning coach.

1. Strength, endurance, hypertrophy, power continuing and rest

The amount of resistance, number of repetitions, and speed the exercises are performed all have an impact on how the body will respond to training. Proper training requires proper rest between sets to maximize the effect of whatever you are trying to accomplish. For a rough and dirty guide on training loads and adaptations, use the following:

Brute Strength
100% of Max (1-5 Reps)
In this range, gains are made more from neuromuscular adaptations with little effect on muscle fiber size.
REST: When training for maximum strength or power, rest for 3— 5 minutes between sets.

 

Power Training (High Velocity)
80-90% of Max (1-3 Reps)
At a high velocity to promote endurance and power.
REST: When training for maximum strength or power, rest for 3— 5 minutes between sets.

 

Strength and Mass
76-82% of Max (6-8 Reps)
This range still heavily taxes the neuromuscular system but provides a high enough volume to help elicit gains in muscle mass.
REST: When training for strength, utilize a rest scheme of 2— 3 minutes between sets.

 

Mass
68-74% of Max (9-12 Reps)
This range is the best for providing a high enough volume to elicit large gains in muscle mass, but not enough of a stimulus to cause as great of a strength gain as high resistances.
REST: When training to maximize muscle mass, utilize a rest scheme of 60— 90 seconds between sets.

Endurance Training
13+ REPETITIONS- These rep ranges do a better job at promoting muscular endurance, but do not have a high enough intensity to elicit large changes in muscle mass.
REST: When training for endurance, utilize a rest scheme of 30— 45 seconds between each sent.

*Note the above information is applicable to multi-joint movements like squats and deadlifts. Single joint movements, such as bicep curls, can typically be done for a greater number of repetitions at any percentage of an individual’s given maximum, and so, will need to be assessed accordingly when developing a training program.

2. Training Cycles

Training cycles are an organized way to design a training program to meet a specific over-arching goal. This consists of macrocycles, mesocycles, and microcycles.

3. Progressive vs. an Undulating Program

Progressive programs revolve around a systematic increase in volume, intensity, or both in a given cycle while an undulating program utilizes a randomized progression within a cycle, in which the volume, intensity, or both can vary daily, weekly, or monthly. Neither progression displays a significant superiority over one another in regards to peak performance. However, some suggest that undulating programs carry a smaller risk of overtraining. In reality, the utilization of both progression techniques allows progression and reduces the risk of overtraining while reducing the risk of plateauing.

Putting it all together (Example: 3 Month Training Progression)

Month 1- Capacity Building
Higher rep range to help the body become accustomed to training. Utilizing a combination of periodization an undulation in a month progression:

Example:

• wk 1— 4 sets of 13—15 reps at 55% — 60%;
• wk 2— 4 sets of 11—13 reps at 64%—70%;
• wk 3— 4 sets of 10—12 reps at 68%—72%;
• wk 4— 4 sets of 10—12 at 60% — 64%

Each week the rep ranges decreased with increasing resistance until week 4. The 1st 3 weeks utilize a linear progression in order to increase the body’s ability to handle a given training volume, but week 4 acts as a deloading week. This takes the undulating approach into account to alter load parameters to allow for recovery within a training cycle in order to reduce the risk of overtraining.  Another important note, the higher the resistance, the lower the number of repetitions performed.

Month 2- Hypertrophy Phase
Utilize a weight that is challenging for 9 to 12 repetitions with eventually progressing to 8 to 10 repetitions utilizing progressive system detailed in month 1.

Example:

• wk 1— 10 to 12 reps at 68%— 72%
• wk 2— 9 to 11 reps at 70%— 74%
• wk 3— 8 to 10 reps at 72%— 76%
• wk 4— sets of 8 at 64%— 70%

 

Month 3- Strength Phase
Utilizing resistance that is challenging for 6 to 8 reps and eventually progressing to a resistance that only allows for performing 4 to 6 reps.

Example:

• wk 1— 6 to 8 reps at 76%— 82%
• wk 2— 5 to 7 reps at 78%— 85%
• wk 3— 4 to 6 reps at 82%— 88%
• wk 4 sets of 5 to 8 at 70%— 75%

This would training progression could be used a stand-alone training progression, or as part of a more comprehensive training program. The three-month block could act as a mesocycle for a larger training program with each month acting as a microcycle to address short term goals.

*Note this is by no means an exhaustive list, nor is this a specific training progression for different sports. This is just an example of how the different concepts are written in this paperwork together in a training progression.

This article was written by Rehab Associates of Northern Virginia. Rehab Associates of Central Virginia is an outpatient physical therapy clinic that focuses on putting the patient’s needs first. Their physical therapists have advanced degrees in specialty orthopedic care from head to toe.

Nothing can put a halt in your fitness journey like a workout injury. As we start the new year, many will embark on a journey to achieve their own personal fitness goals. However, injuries such as sprains, fractures, lower back pain, and other injuries can stop you from reaching your goals. Making sure you are educated on the different types of injuries and how to prevent them can help you avoid the headache of a potential injury. If you do injure yourself, resting, icing the injury, compressing it and elevating it can help you recover from minor injuries and get right back into your fitness routine. If you are experiencing a lingering pain, please consult your physical therapist. Pain can be a warning sign from your body that an injury is likely to occur. Fitness19 has created an infographic highlighting the most common workout injuries and how you can avoid them. Check it out below for more information.