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.  

Note: Sea2SummitLLC PT and Sports Rehabilitation receives a small commission with purchasing a product after following these links. Recommendations are made to help in the search for quality and effectiveness of supportive products balanced against cost, not for profit. 

For Body Weight Exercising (Yoga, Pilates, PT Corrective Exercises)

Self Myofascial Release Tools

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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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.

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.

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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For Pregnancy/ Post Partum

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.