One of the first things that any physical therapist will have you do is specific exercises. They’ll change depending on the type of body part that you need the therapy for, but most of them will be similar and will serve the same purpose of getting your body used to moving that muscle or injured limb properly again.

Some of these exercises, you can do once the therapy is complete while others are good to do with the therapist’s help. But all of the exercises will test your strength and mobility for the injured body part, and they’re good to keep in your exercise routine of simple movements.

Common Arm Exercises

If you’ve broken or otherwise lost movement in your arm, your physical therapist might advocate for these exercises. The first will have you shrugging your shoulders several times, moving them up towards your ears and then back down, and also squeezing your shoulders into your back and then moving them forward.

You can also clasp your arms in front of you and move them side to side, going across your body from one shoulder to the other. Another exercise will have you raising your arms up and down, almost like flapping wings.

Exercises for Hips

If you have pain hip flexion, then you’ll be doing exercises focused on relieving that pain and working with your lower leg movement. These can include laying backward with a pillow between your tented knees and then squeezing the pillow for five seconds to get the muscles working again.

Another exercise can include extending one leg up in the air and trying to keep it straight as you move the limb up and down. Or you can move one bent leg under your hip while lifting one leg as a side leg lift.

Hand and Wrist Exercises

For a broken or damaged hand, you can do hand exercises, such as flexing your fingers and wrist. You want to move your hands through their normal ranges of motion, while not hurting them. One such exercise for the wrist is dangling it off of a table and slowly raising it up until you feel a stretch. You can also rotate your hand from the palm facing up to the palm facing down.

For your fingers, spread your fingers out and then move them inward to touch the palm one by one. Then move them back. For a harder challenge, try squeezing a stress ball.

Some Pain, No Gain

If you are able to do these exercises when you aren’t injured, then great. But if you are injured and require physical therapy, then make sure to work with a physical therapist. Also, whether you are doing these exercises on your own or with help, if you feel pain, stop.

You need to get your body used to these simple movements gradually, so if the body is resisting it’s important to know what that means. Try again in a few days, and you’ll be surprised.