An exercise plan without any progression will quickly become ineffective. It is essential to review the exercise programme regularly and revise it to match the patient's status.
There are various ways to progress exercises, including:
There are various ways to progress exercises, including:
1. Changing the starting position.
2 Changing the length of the lever.
3. Changing the speed at which the exercise is performed.
4. Altering the range throughout which the movement is performed.
5. Applying resistance
1) The starting position
Changing the starting position will change the base of support and may affect the difficulty of an exercise. Reducing the base of support will normally have the effect of advancing the difficulty of the exercise and vice versa. For example, performing an exercise whilst standing on one leg will require more hip abductor control than when standing on two legs.
A change in starting position can also change a body segment's relationship to gravity, which will change the nature of an exercise. An exercise Performed against gravity will require concentric muscle work and eccentric work to return to the starting position - it will therefore be a strengthening exercise.
With more grossly weakened muscles, exercises performed in a gravity counter - balanced will be more effective . Exercises performed in this position will also be more effective in mobilizing structures.
If an exercise is performed with the assistance of gravity it may have a strong mobilizing effect upon reaching the end of the available range of movement. An example of this is performing squats from a standing starting position to increase the range of knee flexion, using the effects of gravity and bodyweight to increase knee flexion. Another example is shoulder flexion in lying and standing.
With more grossly weakened muscles, exercises performed in a gravity counter - balanced will be more effective . Exercises performed in this position will also be more effective in mobilizing structures.
If an exercise is performed with the assistance of gravity it may have a strong mobilizing effect upon reaching the end of the available range of movement. An example of this is performing squats from a standing starting position to increase the range of knee flexion, using the effects of gravity and bodyweight to increase knee flexion. Another example is shoulder flexion in lying and standing.