Exercises to Be Cautious Of Post Rehab Exercise Programs

Published:  02/19/2018

Post-rehab exercise programs meet the needs of clients who do not feel comfortable or knowledgeable enough to exercise on their own, given their medical condition and history.

If you have had an injury, you may not know how to proceed with post-injury exercise. It is crucial that you consult with someone who knows how do transition you from injury recovery to the gym with a program that is going to help you and not cause further harm. The ultimate goal is to achieve physical fitness, continued recovery without further or continued harm through carefully developed, customized personal training.

Do not try to create your own program. Post-rehab is a key component to keeping your body healthy and without it, it is possible to regress. Trained Post Rehab Exercise Specialist fitness professionals have been specially trained to design specialized programs with people  with musculoskeletal, neurologic, and cardiovascular conditions. 

I'll give you an example. A 56 year old male former football player client was referred to me with a history of three knee surgeries, shoulder impingement, degenerative disk disease and a herniated disk.

Included in his self-designed current program were several exercises that were high risk exercises for any person without injury and especially contraindicated and harmful for someone who has injuries.

Exercises to Consider Avoiding

Here are the contraindicated exercises that I removed from his program and my explanation of why.

The Pec Dec Machine is high risk for those with shoulder problems since many machines take the joint to an extreme range of external rotation and horizontal abduction, placing the joint in a vulnerable position.

The Overhead Shoulder Press is controversial due to the vulnerable position of shoulder and increased risk of injury.

The DB Fly is considered high risk because of the risk of extreme, uncontrolled end range of motion in the eccentric phase), leading to shoulder joint injury.

The Triceps Dip is risky because the front of the shoulder is placed at risk due to the starting position of the upper arm.

The Leg Extension Machine creates constant ACL tension and it places undue stress on the kneecap, so people with ligament injuries should avoid this exercise. There is an increased risk of lateral patellar deviation, no hamstring activity and increased joint stress in regards to shear forces.

The Sitting Ab Crunch Machine limits you to one restricted movement, specifically one that may cause lower back issues, including herniated discs in your spine. Core Exercises such as: Sit ups, Low Leg Lifts, Leg Tosses, GHD Sit-Ups, Scissor, Crocodiles, Hanging Leg Lifts, Pilates Roll Up, Pilates Jackknife. Here is a link to more information about How Your Ab Exercises May Be Hurting Your Back.

I am removing these harmful exercises from his workout and replacing them with safe, more effective exercises.

Let me know how I can help you with your post-rehab workout. I can work with you even if you do not live in my area.