At Home Workout – Physical Therapy Edition

So I’ll be honest, I’ve contemplated having a blog dedicated just to my running and workout outfits. But straight up, I’m just a bad sport at this kind of stuff. How can I tell people “just do you” when I have trouble doing me when it comes to running and working out. I figured that I would at least give one home workout post a try.

Since my Disney marathon in January I’ve gone through a handful of hardships in my running journey. Not only did I bomb my marathon because of knee pain, but I was out of running for over 6 weeks. I’ve felt like my fitness level vastly decreased over that time. I started going to physical therapy & honestly I don’t feel welcome there. Everyone looks at me like “why are you here”? I’m not limping, have no scars from surgery, and was starting where a lot of people were ending their PT journey. Though I can’t say for certain that PT has helped (I’m still suffering from slight knee discomfort) it has kept me honest about my cross training.

I’ve known since I started running that cross training is important, but I’d much rather just run 7 days a week than switch off run days for gym days. (Or even just trading one run for a gym day). With that being said though, the workouts I do at physical therapy are quick, easy(ish), and can be divided into pre and post-run routine. I wanted to share what my typical session at physical therapy looks like. It’s a great workout that focuses on strengthening the hips (and in turn works the glutes). It also has a couple moves that focus on the abs and legs. Here’s the breakdown:

At Home Workout

1. Warm-Up: Cycle – 10min (replacing with a 10 min walk currently)
2. Calf Stretch – 10 seconds each side (x3)
3. Hamstring Stretch – 10 seconds each side (x3)
4. Quad Stretch – 10 seconds each side (x3)
5. Laying Leg Raises – 15 reps each side (x2)
6. Side Leg Raises – 15 reps each side (x2)
7. Clam Shells – 15 reps each side (x2)
8. Resistance Band Side Leg Raises – 10 reps, 10 second hold
9. Resistance Band Clam Shells – 10 reps, 10 second hold
10. Seated Leg Raises – 15 reps each side, 5 second hold (x2)
11. Crunches – 10 reps (x3)
12. Planks – 30 seconds (x2)
13. Walking knee to chest stretch (x2)
14. Walking shoe to butt stretch (x2)
15. Jazzy footwork (hard to describe. See diagram below).
16. Side Monster Walks – Down and back 3 times (see video below)
17. Step Ups – leading with left foot (x20) leading with right foot (x20)
18. Medicine Ball squats (x30)
19. Calf Raises – 10 reps (x3) or 15 rps (x2)
20. Leg Press – Single leg & both legs (clearly this can’t really be done at home).

I have to say, this looks like a lot now that I’m writing it out. But I guess this does take me an hour to an hour and a half to run through. I’ve included a few videos & photos (not mine) below of some of the workout that may be harder to understand (or for me to describe). If you have any questions about any of these please feel free to comment below! I’ve seriously been loving how much of this I can do as an at home workout.

I typically do lateral runs & in and outs. These drills are honestly so difficult for me. I have like 0 coordination other than putting one foot in front of the other. Though these drills are challenging I feel that they are very good for me to explore. Here’s the website I found this diagram from.

What I Wear

So besides PT being significantly different from running, what I wear for it is also extremely different. I find myself in a lot more leggings, and t-shirts than I do while running. Because I run outside, in Florida, I usually wear shorts and a sports bra. So it’s been fun finding other outfits to wear to PT. I’m really loving high waisted sets (even though I only have one) and wanted to share a few below. You can also see a full list of my favorite workout gear by checking out this post.

I’ve looked into resistance bands and ankle weights to use at home when I’m not at PT. Here are a few than I found on Amazon.