Why Is It Easier to Stick to Your Physio Exercises Sometimes and Not Others?

When you get given a load of exercise from your therapist there are several phases to it and understanding them can help keep you motivated and on track.  It will also help you understand why sometimes it becomes harder to stick to it as you get better.

The initial “adoption” phase is when it is most easy to stick to your programme and people adhere better.  This phase also will see you having the most contact time with your therapist and is at the beginning of your care.  You are most invested in getting better and making positive changes at this point.

The next phase is the “maintenance phase”.  During this time you often have less support from your therapist and your “self management” of symptoms becomes more important.  Your symptoms have improved,  you have returned to many of your daily and chosen activities and you are feeling better.  Hooray.  The toolbox of skills your therapist has empowered you with is now open for you to manage.  If a good habit has been formed with exercise in the initial “adoption” phase then your chances of success are higher during this phase.  It is very easy to drop off in maintenance phase because you have less therapist contact and more self reliance. Many of us need to have regular appointments booked in to keep us on track.  So,  if that is you,  you are not alone and it is totally fine!  We can help you through and keep you track,  just tell us what you need to keep you motivated.  This will give you the best chance of long term success and achieving your goals.

During this phase you will commonly have to deal with a flare up of your symptoms.  This often happens when we start pushing our exercise levels again and doing more,  testing your ability to cope with activities.  Rehab is always a game of snakes and ladders.  You will always hit a snake but there is always a ladder close by!  Please don’t feel despondent in this phase as it is easy to lose your way.  Just reach out to us and let us know how you are feeling.  Also pick up the phone if something isn’t right.  Don’t wait until your next appointment to fill us in.

During this maintenance phase you often will have to deal with a break in training.  Things like holidays or getting poorly can challenge you and you will have to pick up again after.  All this is normal and fine!

Finally the “closure” phase occurs for some patients but not all.  This is the point when your treatment comes to an end and your condition has fully resolved or you have got as good as you can be.  By this phase you will have learnt and trained new skills to move more optimally in many different movement patterns and tasks, not just the ones that were a problem for you. At this point your movement will feel better than it has in years.  Patients commonly tell us they haven’t felt this good since their teens or earl twenties.  I can’t tell you how wonderful that is to hear especially when said by a 75year old!

Many many things are possible to achieve with your body.  We just need to keep you on track and keep the momentum and motivation going.  Your body and mind is a wonderful thing and the secret ingredient is hope.  You can do it!  You can make changes.  It is possible!  Please please pass this on to your friends and family so we can help them feel like they did in their 20’s again.  That is priceless!

If you have any questions,  would like more information or want to book an appointment please call 01548 852355 or email [email protected].  We shall look forward to hearing from you.

originally posted  17th October 2018