If you are currently recovering from an injury or have already completed your physical therapy, you might be wondering what the next step is. Many patients assume that completing physical therapy means that they are good to jump back into the rigors of their old workout routine, but this attitude often comes with the risk of re-injury. Instead of taking chances at the gym, we highly recommend working with a personal trainer, preferably one who is familiar with the post-rehab stage of training.

After a serious or reoccurring injury, an effective fitness program will help maintain your progress in range of motion, strength, and stability that was gained during physical therapy, all while constantly decreasing the risk of re-injury.

Personal training will help most people on their road to fitness, but for those who are transitioning out of physical therapy after an injury, here are 3 reasons why personal training might be the perfect next step.

A personal trainer knows how to design a unique workout based on your current abilities and goals.

We’ve already talked about this to some extent, but hitting the gym full force after physical therapy might result in re-injury if you do not implement the changes to your body mechanics that you learned in physical therapy.  On the flip side, however, if you don’t push your body hard enough, you might lose some of the progress you made during therapy. One of the great benefits of working with a personal trainer post-rehab is that they will know how to challenge your body without hurting it and what warning signs to look for, helping prevent re-injury.  They can observe your form to make sure that you transition to performing the exercises with the proper form.

Insurance no longer covers physical therapy, but you don’t feel ready to hit the gym without assistance.

Many insurance policies will only cover a certain number of physical therapy appointments (depending on your provider and the type of injury), but as the patient, you want to continue receiving help with recovery. Personal training with a post-rehab specialist is a great way to continue receiving the help that you need when insurance runs out.

You train your whole body, not just one area.

A good personal trainer knows that when you work one area of your body, you are affecting other parts too. This awareness is especially critical after an injury because it may be necessary to re-educate your muscles to help them work together in the right way. Of course, this re-education is part of your physical therapy but is something that people often forget about during their workouts as they fall back into old habits. By working with a professional, you get the benefit of a trained eye watching our form and making sure muscles are learning the proper way to work together. Even more than that, by working with a personal trainer you will benefit from exercising your whole body, not just the point of injury.

Here at Haymarket PT, Cameron Lewis is the personal trainer who runs our wellness program. With nearly 8 years of experience combined with a degree in Exercise Science and a certification in Sports Medicine, make Cameron an excellent choice for your post-rehab training. As our Wellness Coordinator, he has worked in both clinical and gym settings and is qualified to work with everyone from beginners to professional and collegiate athletes. As a member of the Haymarket PT team, you can have confidence that Cameron’s work will complement the physical therapy you have received and help you speed along the road to full recovery.

To contact our office with questions or to schedule an appointment you can visit our website or give us a call at (703) 753-0261.

“The Wellness program is a great follow-up to Physical Therapy.  They had insight into my current physical condition and limitations and customized a personal training program to fit my needs.  The Haymarket Physical Therapy staff is always friendly and encouraging.” – Serry Quarterman