Why do exercises need to get harder?
Your body adapts to what you ask of it. If the exercise stays the same while you get stronger, it stops doing much.
Progression keeps asking a little more, so that strength, balance and control keep growing toward what you want to do again, like climbing the stairs at home.
What are the five ways an exercise gets harder?
Your physiotherapist changes one thing at a time.
- More repetitions or sets. Ten sit-to-stands become fifteen.
- More load. A light band becomes a stronger band, or a small bottle becomes a heavier one.
- Harder position. Two feet on the floor becomes one foot, or a firm floor becomes a cushion.
- Slower or faster. A slow lowering phase builds control; a faster move builds power.
- More like real life. Sitting becomes standing, then walking with a task, like carrying shopping up the front steps.
Changing one at a time lets you tell which change caused a problem.
How do I know when to move up?
Use a simple test. You can do the current level for three sessions in a row with good form, little effort and no pain, and the next morning feels normal.
If it passes, move up one step. If it does not, stay where you are. See pain after rehab exercises if you are unsure what the aches mean.
What does progress look like for a stairs goal?
Say your goal is to climb the stairs of your terrace house without holding the rail. Week by week it could look like this:
- Sit-to-stand from a high chair, then a low chair.
- Step-ups on a low step, then the real stair.
- Slow step-downs for control.
- Carrying a light bag up one flight.
Each piece links to the goal, and your physiotherapist can show you where you are on the ladder.
What should I tell my physiotherapist?
Say what you can do now that you could not before, what is still hard and what you want to do in your normal week. Ipoh families have shop shifts, school runs and grandchildren, so progress should fit those.
Our guide on the number of physiotherapy sessions you may need and the home exercise programme page explain the wider picture.
Can I progress at home?
Yes, a home visit lets us change the exercise on your own stairs, chairs and floor. Home physiotherapy across Ipoh is available now, and our Canning Garden centre, near Fatimah Hospital, is opening soon.