Tried and True Self Care and Home Gym Tools
Take the guess Work out of adding to your home exercise and self care tools!
These are my favorites go-tos for daily use in my clinic or tested by my patients with positive feedback on their effectiveness.
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For Body Weight Exercising (Yoga, Pilates, PT Corrective Exercises)
These are my favorite. Sturdy and firm support with soft texture.
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These are my second favorite. These are the ones I have for use in my classes in the gym space. Less expensive than the Peleton brand. Not as firm but still sturdy.
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This is a very versatile tool to add padding to your mat and graded support. Run it through the washing machine first to help with fluff shedding when new. I use this along with the blocks for the breathing exercises to add head, spine and arm supports as needed.
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Self Myofascial Release Tools
This is my favorite fascial mobilization tool after trying pretty much everything that is out there over the years. This tool is for separating layers of fascia that are stuck with adhesions. I like the stainless steel one because it’s more durable and doesn’t shatter if you drop it but the quartz, Jade and horn ones work fine. This shape fits great in my hand and its edges get all the angles, pressure and strokes I want when doing soft tissue work. Do not do gua sha to the front of the neck.
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Provides a quick and effective release. The tubing for the pump is important as cupping yourself is difficult without it. 3-4 pumps are plenty of pressure. Don’t leave them on for more than a minute or two as you can cause tissue damage. Don’t use them again until the bruising clears. Also, do not use these in the front of the neck. Use ice for 10 minutes on any sore or itchy spots.
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An alternative to the set above for slower and gentler release. Using these is not as intense of an experience. They don’t provide as complete of a release in one shot but may be easier or more comfortable to use. Do not use these on the front of the neck.
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I use these daily for teaching self massage and active release with muscle energy techniques to provide a deep tissue experience or a soothing light massage. You control the depth of the pressure by how much you lean into it against a wall or rolling it under your hand.
I don’t recommend laying on the floor with these. It is often too intense of an experience to relax into or calibrate the intensity. The peanut ball is great for the base of the skull and mid back/rib cage area. The single ball for the low back, shoulder blades, chest, arm, hip and leg. Do not use it on the neck. I haven’t found a good use for the spiky ball yet. If you think of one let me know! Tennis balls are a good alternative to these if you want a little more give/softness. Just tape two together and put them in a sock to make a peanut.
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Helpful for the hard to reach knots at the base of the neck. You can use it on other areas as well. It comes with a handbook but I find that the tennis or lacrosse balls work better than the cane on other areas of the back and hips.
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Sticky but not too sticky. Doesn’t easily provoke adhesive allergies. Stands up to water (ie Showering or swimming). Still need to make sure that your skin is free of oil-based moisturizers prior to use otherwise it won’t stick. Click the picture or this link to purchase.
See these blog posts for tips on how to tape your back, knee and shoulder to help with stability and posture cueing.
Posture Braces
There are lots of different posture braces out there. My patients like the ones by alignmed the most. They also make a posture shirt (scroll down to find the link). They are expensive, but if you are looking to buy one and buy the right one, this is it. I also include some less expensive alternatives in this list as well.
Alignmed Posture Bra
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Similar, less expensive posture bra
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Many of my patients have purchased this posture brace. Some say that it rubs in the armpit area and is uncomfortable with movement. So, if you are sitting at a computer for long periods of time or not having to move your arms a lot, this posture brace should be just fine to do the job.
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Braces
In both my personal and professional experience, the medspec brand of braces are the best. They are sturdy, supportive, comfortable, washable and adjust well with minimal to no rubbing or friction areas with movement. If you don’t or can’t wait for one to ship, ace brand would be the next best brand and are in stock in most big stores that have pharmacies like Walmart, Target or Walgreens.
A course of bracing to stabilize and direct forces away from an injured area is typically 6-8 weeks total for mild to moderate sprains, possibly 10-12 weeks for more severe sprains. The first two weeks the brace is worn during all waking hours and even to bed if needed. The second two weeks (weeks 2-4) the brace is left off in one hour increments when in the home starting in the morning until the brace is off for a half day (after lunch). Keep the brace on if venturing outside of the home / above and beyond light job duties. Only progress to more time out of the brace if the current amount no longer causes soreness or swelling. The next set of two weeks (weeks 4-6) the brace is left off in one hour increments the second half of the day through the full day including outings outside the home. You may gently start to reintroduce your usual exercise routine, but without impact, while braced around week 6. Only progress to more time out of the brace if the current amount no longer causes soreness or swelling. Weeks 6-8 wean off the brace during physical activity roughly 10% at a time (use the soreness rules as a guide). Bring it with you and put it on if you start to get sore or swollen during your physical activity. General rule of thumb is to keep any symptoms at a 3/10 or less and steady and free of any sharp pains.
For the knee.
This one includes a patellar stabilizer if your knee cap is injured / unstable.
For the ankle
This brace is good for tennis elbow, golfers elbow, wrist flexor and forearm tendonitis and other wrist hand and elbow repetitve use injuries.
To use the brace, feel around the most tender spot is in that’s where the brace goes. Where it for two weeks straight during all waking hours. Tight but not so tight to cut off circulation. Then for two weeks after that use during the activities that are aggravating and then see how things feel. Always feel for where the most tender spot as it may shift once the area that was previously the tender spot settles down.
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Wear it for two weeks straight during all waking hours. Tight but not so tight to cut off circulation. Then for two weeks after that use during the activities that are aggravating and then see how things feel.
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For Pregnancy/ Post Partum
Unloads the pelvis so the weight of the baby is more evenly distributed and reduces the pull into an arched spine and weightbearing through just the front of the foot to help maintain active posture control.
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Post partum SI / Pelvis Stabilizer
Helps with pelvic and low back pain post partum until the ligaments that hold the pelvis together heal. Here’s a postpartum hack: Do your exercises while Using the brace to help get your active stability back And have less pain quicker once cleared by your OB to start exercising again.
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Weights, Bands and other Equiptment for Your Home Gym
Be efficient and cost effective with your space and do more with less. These are ideal for small spaces or easy, out of sight storage.
Here’s some other suggested additions to add to your home gym. If going slow, good form and coordinating an exhale, these weights are a good challenge for up to 30 reps of most exercises. Unless looking to add muscle bulk, this is good for being functional, strong and supporting overall physical and movement system health without potentially causing compensations that can lead to injury or pain. Any heavier that this I recommend working with a trainer (if you have no pain) or a PT if you do have pain. It’s helpful to have someone watch/ guide you at first to make sure you are moving appropriately with the desired weight you are working with.
I have tried many different types of kettle bells. With the balance of price vs. quality the simple cast iron ones are the best. Any more expensive you are just paying for looks / brand name. These are great and withstand frequent use for the long term.
How many kettle bells do you actually need for a well rounded home gym strength and conditioning? 10, 15, 20 pounds and maybe 30 pounds if still feel like you need more weight.
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56-65 cm on average works best for most patients to add some core stabilization challenge to just sitting still or your usual body weight or upper body band/dumbbell exercise routine. Measure knee to floor in cm to find your size relative to your height if you want to use it to sit on at a desk. .
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Best, sturdiest. Most versatile with adding height levels. Can be bigger and bulkier with storage.
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Good, less expensive and easy to store when not in use.
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This is the same chair that I have in my treatment, rooms and gym space. Patients often comment how comfortable this chair is and how well it helps them to keep a good posture while sitting in it.
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