6 resistance training exercises that can improve your muscle strength

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One of the best ways to accomplish your health and wellness goals is to keep pushing yourself and challenging your abilities. That means fighting against what’s holding you back to make you stronger. That’s what resistance training is all about.

Resistance training refers to exercises that involve working against a weight or force in order to strengthen your muscles. While resistance training exercises are often used to improve sports performance or burn calories, they can also be used as part of physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Physical and occupational therapists will often use a variety of exercise types to address and improve the symptoms of a person’s injury or medical condition. Boosting muscle strength is required for many different reasons, including chronic pain, fall prevention and postsurgical rehabilitation. 

Read on to learn about specific resistance training exercises that can help build muscle strength during your therapy treatment. We’ll also discuss the benefits of resistance training for physical and occupational therapy and how Excel Rehab & Sports can guide you through it.

6 resistance training exercises often used in physical and occupational therapy

Resistance training involves the use of equipment that will work as a force that works against your muscles as you exercise. The most common types of resistance training exercises involve the use of weights, exercise bands and weight machines. You may also use your own body weight as a resisting force.

The key to successful resistance training that will build your muscle strength is safety. While you may think you can lift a certain amount of weight, or handle a specific resisted movement, it may put you at risk for injury if it’s not performed correctly. This is especially true for physical therapy patients who are experiencing pain and reduced mobility. That’s why it’s important that you seek the guidance of a physical and occupational therapist before trying any resistance exercises. Once you learn how to properly perform them, you can continue your progress by practicing them at home. 

A physical and occupational therapist can make sure that your resistance training exercises are targeting the right muscle groups based on your concerns and goals.

Here are six resistance training exercises that you can complete in physical therapy and between sessions:

  • Lateral raise — Stand in the middle of a resistance band with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold one end of the band in each hand. Raise both of your arms to the side until they’re at the height of your shoulder before lowering them back down to your sides. Repeat 10 times or as directed by your physical therapist. Lateral raises can help boost the muscle strength in your shoulders.
  • Leg press — Sit on a chair. Wrap a resistance band around one of your feet so that it’s in the middle of your arch. Hold one end of the band in each hand. Slowly bend your knee up toward your torso before straightening it out as much as you can. Return to resting position. Repeat 10 times, or as directed by your physical therapist, before switching to the other leg. This resistance exercise can engage most of your leg muscles, but especially your quad muscles at the front of your thigh.
  • Overhead band pull-apart — Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold the band with both hands, one on each end, with your palms facing up. Lift your arms over your head. Pull the band apart as you lower your arms to your shoulders until the band is behind your neck. Hold the position for as long as the physical therapist instructs before raising your arms back up to the starting position. Repeat as directed. This exercise strengthens a variety of muscles in your upper back. 
  • Rear arm extension — Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold the resistance band with both hands behind your back. While keeping your arms straight, slowly pull the band apart before returning to the starting position. Repeat up to 15 times, or as directed by your physical therapist. The rear arm extension works to build muscle strength in your triceps, which are located in the back of your upper arm.
  • Triceps press — Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Put one end of a resistance band underneath the heel of your right foot. Hold the other end with both hands on your right shoulder so that your elbows are pointing upward. Stretch the band up until your arms are extended over your head before bringing them back down to the starting position. Repeat up to 10 times, or as directed by your physical therapist, before switching to the other side. This exercise boosts the strength in your triceps.
  • Walking lunges — Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Stand with your shoulders back and your arms at your side. Step forward with your right leg and bend at the knee to lower down into a lunge position by driving through your heel. Be sure to keep your back straight as you move your left leg forward to do another lunge movement. Repeat by alternating legs for 10 lunges on each side. Walking lunges with weights can strengthen your hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes, as well as your core.
  • Planks — Go down on your hands and knees like you’re going to do a pushup. Instead of balancing on your hands and toes, it will be your forearms and toes. Hold your body off the floor by engaging your core while keeping your torso, legs and head aligned. Your spine should be in a neutral position. Hold the plank for up to 30 seconds, or as directed by your physical therapist. This isometric exercise helps you to build strength in your lower back, abdominal, quadriceps and gluteal muscles.

Why resistance training is beneficial for physical and occupational therapy patients

Muscle strength can be helpful to everyone, but it’s especially beneficial for people who have had their muscles impacted by a medical condition or injury. That’s why physical and occupational therapists will incorporate resistance training into many treatment plans.

Here are a few benefits of using resistance training during physical therapy sessions for increased muscle strength:

  • Improved posture for reduced back and neck pain
  • Increased range of motion of joints surrounded by tight muscle tissue
  • Improved coordination for reduced risk of future injuries or falls
  • Reduced stress for better sleep
  • Improved self-esteem and confidence that keeps you motivated

Excel Rehab & Sports can guide you through resistance training exercises

Resistance training is just one type of exercise used in physical therapy that can help you accomplish your health and wellness goals, including increased muscle strength. 

The reason why physical and occupational therapy are so effective in alleviating medical conditions and injury symptoms is because they combine the benefits of many different courses of action. For example, using resistance training to improve shoulder strength alongside pain management modalities for frozen shoulder will help restore your shoulder function with as little discomfort as possible.

Figure out if resistance training is the right choice for you by booking an appointment with Excel Rehab & Sports. We’ll assess your muscle strength as well as your flexibility, mobility, function and posture. We’ll also take a look at your gait, which is your body position as you move. Then we’ll ask you about your concerns, medical history and your overall health goals.

We’ll design a personalized treatment plan, including resistance training exercises, that will be safe and effective for your challenges. 

Call us or request an appointment today to learn resistance training exercises that will increase your muscle strength.