Exercise Videos
At Prime Physiotherapy our priority is to get you on the of recovery path as quickly as possible. Your practitioner might recommend some simple, yet effective exercises to complete at home to help you with your recovery.
The videos are intended to be used as an educational reference and assist clients from a rehabilitation and an injury preventative standpoint.
Select an Exercise Category
NECK
One of the most effective postural exercises for combating neck pain is the chin tuck exercise. This exercise not only helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head back into alignment over the shoulders (upper thoracic extensors) but it also stretches the scalene and suboccipital muscles.
The muscles in the back of the neck get strained and overworked with forward head posture, and this is a great exercise to bring about balance, creating a loose, tension free neck, and most importantly bringing your head back in line with your shoulders!
SHOULDER
The muscles involved in the external rotation of your shoulder are the infraspinatus and teres minor. These muscles are two of the four that make up the rotator cuff. If they become injured, the inflammation can cause pain and restriction of movement when you attempt to externally rotate your arm.
One of the 4 PNF shoulder patterns. The ending position for D1 flexion is shoulder extension, abduction, external rotation, forearm pronation, wrist and finger extension.
D2 flexion includes shoulder flexion, abduction and external rotation, forearm supination, wrist and finger extension. A more advanced exercise used for rehabilitation of the rotator cuff. Because D2 Flexion is a more advanced shoulder exercise, be sure to avoid any clicking at the glenohumeral joint to ensure that muscles are being strengthened correctly.
V-Ups (Bilateral External Rotation with Raise)
The 45-degree external rotation strengthens the shoulders through a full range of motion. This exercise also works as a prehabilitation and rehabilitation exercise for the shoulders.
Incorporating more muscles of the Rotator Cuff, External Rotation at 90 degrees Abduction helps improve mobility and strength in the entire shoulder joint.
CORE
The plank is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a position similar to a push-up for the maximum possible time. The plank strengthens the abdominals, back, and shoulders. Muscles involved in the front plank include: Primary muscles: erector spinae, rectus abdominis (abs), and transverse abdominus.
The Side Plank builds strength and endurance in the core. This will help keep your lower back protected and stable during activities that require movement in the hips or back.
Perform a dynamic twisting motion while holding the isometric side bridge position. By performing this oblique exercise, you will tone your abs, strengthen the entire core, improve your posture, and reduce your risk of back pain. Side plank with rotation is more challenging than classic side plank and requires pre-existing strength and stability to perform it with proper form.
HIP/GLUTEUS
The Clamshell exercise serves various functions, including strengthening your hips, inner and outer thighs, stabilizing your pelvic muscles and toning your buttocks. If desired, you can shift your position slightly to emphasize a particular muscle. The clamshell exercise is also used by some therapists to reduce lower back pain by strengthening the core and lower back muscles.
Like the clamshell exercise, this Gluteus Medius strengthening exercise is great for opening up the hips and you'll need to engage the glutes to perform this external rotation. It's a great exercise to increase hip mobility which is often one of the first movements to suffer as we age.
A progression exercise to the Clamshell and Fire hydrant commonly used in order to further strengthen the gluteus medius muscle.
A simple exercise designed to target the gluteus maximus muscle which may be used to help fix and improve pelvic and spine stabilization or to help improve force output in athletes and reduce the risk of the hamstring strains.
LOWER BODY
The straight-leg raise strengthens quads, enabling these large muscles to stabilize the knee and assist hip flexion. Lie on your back with your arms by your sides or with hands resting on your abdomen. Bend your left knee until the sole of your left foot rests on the floor.
The bridge exercise is a great way to isolate and strengthen the gluteus (butt) muscles and hamstrings (back of the upper leg). If you do this exercise correctly, you also will find that it is a good core stability and strength exercise that targets the abdominal muscles as well as the muscles of lower back and hip.
The single leg bridge exercise is a great way to isolate and strengthen the gluteus (butt) muscles and hamstrings (back of the upper leg). If you do this exercise correctly, you will also find that it is a very powerful core strengthening technique.
Wall squats are a variation of the classic squat and help beginners develop proper squat form before moving on to more advanced squat exercises. Several muscles in your lower body are used to complete a wall squat. The gluteus maximus that makes up the buttocks is used to extend the hips during the upward phase of the exercise.
The Swiss ball bridge hamstring curl is a technical and challenging exercise that effectively works to isolate the hamstring muscles located on the back of the thighs. The movement is a body-weight exercise, making it appropriate for nearly every fitness level. The biggest challenge of the exercise is maintaining your balance on the ball while performing the curl.
The lunge is a popular muscle-strengthening exercise that strengthens and tones your thighs and buttocks. You can perform forward or reverse lunge with your body weight only, or by using a barbell or dumbbells to add resistance to the workout.
Side lunges offer a new take on regular lunges. They allow you to work your hips, glutes and thighs a bit differently than traditional squats and lunges while still targeting the major muscles of the lower body. They offer a really good workout and are friendly on the knees, reducing the risk of injury.
The diagonal lunge is a hybrid of the traditional lunge and the side lunge. During a diagonal lunge, you step forward at a 45-degree angle with your knee lined up with your toes. These lunges can be performed using your body weight only or you can hold a dumbbell in each hand for added resistance.
A lower limb exercise similar to a single leg squat used to increase strength in the legs. Make sure to keep an eye on the knees and to ensure that the knee doing the work is not going into adduction upon its concentric phase.
Similar to lunges and squats the three plane reach encompasses strengthening of the lower limbs in three different planes to ensure that several muscles are being recruited during the exercise. Also the stabilizing leg that is completing the squat must also balance the weight of the body to ensure that the individual does not lose their balance.
A lower limb exercise similar to a single leg squat used to increase strength in the legs. Make sure to keep an eye on the knees and to ensure that the knee doing the work is not going into adduction upon its concentric phase.