Physio strengthening exercises

Are you familiar with strengthening and rehabilitation? Our physiotherapist Jason Lee explores this topic and highlights how our strengthening programs can help.

Key Highlights

• Strengthening exercises are essential for full rehabilitation: After pain subsides, strengthening restores muscle function, prevents future injuries, and is tailored to individual goals, whether returning to sport or improving daily movement.
  
• Effective strengthening focuses on more than just getting stronger: It targets power, endurance, stability, and muscle control, with physiotherapists designing personalised programs based on specific muscle roles and recovery needs.
  
• Prevent injuries by focusing on smart training practices: Always warm up, perfect your form before lifting heavier, listen to your body’s signals, incorporate recovery days, and seek professional guidance to address weaknesses early.
  
• Motivation stays high with structured goals and enjoyable routines: Set achievable milestones, track your progress, mix up exercises you enjoy, and train with friends or physiotherapists to keep your strength journey consistent and rewarding.

Strengthening exercises for injury recovery

Strengthening and exercising plays a critical role in the completion of rehabilitation. Following the reduction in pain and resolution of majority of symptoms, strengthening is important to fully resolve the condition and prevent the likelihood of recurrence.

Exercise and strengthening should be tailored for the individual whether it is for a return to sport/performance or simply to get back to normal Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Exercises and aims of the strengthening phase of rehabilitation are dependent on patient goals.

Strengthening relates not only to getting stronger but also involves power, endurance and speed. Additionally, quality and timing of muscle contractions are equally important.

Our physiotherapists at Malvern East Physiotherapy are well placed to assess and provide appropriate and safe resistance programs for their patients.

What are strength exercises?

Commonly following injury or pain, muscle groups become inhibited as a protective response. Therefore, correct exercises are designed to improve and restore strength.

Muscles have different roles. For example, some can be prime movers (eg. biceps bend the elbow) whereas others can be more for endurance and stability (eg. your deep core muscles).

Depending on what muscles are affected following injury, it is important to rehabilitate/strengthen specifically based on characteristics and use. Therefore it is also important that the rehabilitation and strengthening program involves a combination of both.

How strengthening exercises support recovery

Strengthening exercises for lower back pain

Once symptoms are resolved, strengthening is important to prevent recurrent episodes of low back pain. 8 in 10 individuals experience episodes of low back pain. Recurrence of this pain is incredibly high within the next 3 months without sufficient rehabilitation.

In cases of low back pain, core muscles are commonly inhibited due to pain. Early stages of strength include recruiting and retraining deep stability muscles.  It is important to commonly focus on low level contractions performed regularly and often to improve endurance.

Basic strengthening exercises that are commonly done to treat low back pain include the bridge.

Equally important and often neglected, are the prime movers/larger muscles around the back.

How to avoid injury while performing strength exercises?

Always Warm Up Properly

Start every session with 5–10 minutes of light cardio (like brisk walking or cycling) followed by dynamic stretches (such as lunges, arm swings, or leg swings).
Why it matters: Warming up raises your muscle temperature and prepares your joints, making injuries far less likely.

Prioritise Technique Over Heavier Weights

• Master form first, before adding load.
• Move slowly and with control through the full range of motion.
• Use mirrors, videos, or coaching to self-correct.

Tip: Focus on engaging the right muscles for each exercise — for example, use your glutes and hamstrings during deadlifts, not just your lower back.

Listen to Your Body

• Muscle soreness is normal after a workout (DOMS).
• Sharp, stabbing pain is a warning sign to stop immediately.
• If you feel fatigued, prioritise rest and recovery.

Incorporate Recovery Strategies

• Take rest days seriously.
• Stretch after workouts.
• Prioritise quality sleep and hydration to support muscle repair.

Seek Professional Guidance

A physiotherapist or certified trainer can:

• Identify weak spots or mobility issues.
• Design a personalised plan that suits your fitness level.
• Teach corrective exercises to prevent injuries.

How to stay motivated while performing strength exercises?

Staying motivated with strength exercises is key to seeing real, lasting results. Here’s how to maintain momentum:

Set Clear, Achievable Goals

• Break big goals into smaller milestones (e.g., “Add 5kg to my squat in 4 weeks”).
• Celebrate each achievement, no matter how small.

Tip: Focus on performance goals (lifting heavier, improving technique), not just appearance.

Create a Structured Training Plan

Having a written plan keeps you accountable and helps you track progress over time.

Include progressive overload, variation, and recovery phases to stay engaged.

Find Enjoyment in the Process

• Choose exercises you actually like.
• Train with a friend or join a strength class for social support.
• Listen to energising music or podcasts while training.

Track Your Progress

Keep a training journal or use fitness apps to log:

• Weight lifted
• Sets and reps
• How you felt during sessions

Physio strengthening exercises

Here at Malvern East Physiotherapy, we have specific clinical strength programs available as well as supervised comprehensive exercise programs. If you find it challenging to find the appropriate equipment and time required, these programs would be ideal for you.

Expect that as part of physiotherapy/treatment plan, your physiotherapist will take you through the best/optimal exercises as part of rehab using our custom rehabilitation gym and equipment.

Our physiotherapists will have you utilise the latest equipment for exercises and perform a range of tests to measure and show your benefits and progress.

If you are interested in our strengthening programs, book in to see one of our qualified physiotherapists as soon as possible. You can book online or call our friendly team on 9571 6888.