Dr. Elizabeth Galdi, PT, DPT

Elizabeth Racioppi, PT, DPT, Regional Manager at Body Gears shares tips with you on creative home workouts using household items as well as some simple modifications for High-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises to help you continue your routines when injured.

Household Equipment

No weights at home? No problem! Some things you have around the house are perfect replacements when weights are not an option (lightest to heaviest):

• Soap bottles
• Soup cans
• Laundry detergent: you can fill an empty bottle with water, or use the liquid that’s already in the bottle of detergent.
• Backpack: load your backpack up with books or shoes or any material that will add a little bit of weight to your workout. Caution: try not to overdue it to avoid causing unnecessary stress or strain with too much weight.

Exercises

As demonstrated in the Facebook Live video, the simple use of a wall in your home or any of the above household items can help you through your physical therapy exercises, or even a HIIT workout while you’re self-isolated at home.

Here are a few exercises you can try using a combination of household items:

• Wall + soup can or soap bottle
  • Serratus Wall Slides
  • Wall 90/90 External Rotation
• Soap bottles or detergent bottle
  • Bent-over Rows
  • Turkish Get-Up
  • Windmills
• Weighted backpack
  • Squats
  • Heel Raises
  • Lunges or Split Squats
  • Bent-over rows
  • Deadlifts

Modifications

Are you suffering from an injury or pain that’s impacting your range and mobility? Do you still want to continue your HIIT workouts from home? You’ve come to the right place. With these simple exercise modifications, you can continue your normal routine without the pain or fear of further injury.

• Burpees
  • Up Downs
  • Step down to quadruped then step back to standing
• Lunges
  • Bridges
  • Single Leg Bridges
  • Squats and Wall Sits
• Squats
  • Partial Squat (to sofa or chair)
  • Sit to Stand (from sofa or chair)
  • Wall Sit
• Planks
  • Deadbugs

Incorporating these household items and modifications into your at-home workout regimen can help reduce the amount of pain you’re experiencing while providing a safe and healthy environment for you to stay active.

Contact one of our six Chicagoland offices today to find out how physical therapy can help you enjoy a pain-free life! Try our Telehealth services for immediate access to a licensed expert by calling 877-709-1090 or email [email protected].

Tags: Exercise techs