This post was originally published August 23, 2016 and updated on April 6, 2019.
- Home Exercise Program 2 Go
- Ndt Home Exercise Program Exercises
- Home Exercise Program For Seniors
- Ndt Training Schools
How many times have you wished your job had pre-printed, free home exercise program handouts?
If you aren't one of the lucky OT practitioners that has easy to access HEP handouts, this list is for you!
There are overwhelming amounts of search results on Google, so I narrowed down the best FREE online home exercise program resources. These are not only easy to access but are also perfect for sharing with your patients.
1. HEP2Go
The convenience of being able to get your sweat on by using exercise programs on TV is growing in popularity as more people look for ways to fit at home. Program Overview: RISE is a 15-month program designed to build strong and mindful NDT leaders of tomorrow. Combining in-person classroom training, team projects, and personal development exercises, with a series of online learning modules, the curriculum will also include three required in-person retreats held at ASNT Conferences. Do you want to exercise? Do you want to keep fit? Are you shocked by the price of gym memberships? On this channel, I will show you how to kee.
HEP2Go is the fan favorite of free online home exercise programs – and for good reason.
It has exercises for multiple disciplines, ranging from OT's and COTA's to PT's/PTA's, athletic trainers, chiropractors and orthopedic physicians.
Not only does it have the basic exercises you would imagine – like upper body, lower body and core exercises – but also the functional handouts like tub transfer training and grab bar placement handouts. There is also information about modalities, vestibular exercises, weightbearing, balance exercises, and more.
HEP2Go is great for the cash-strapped fieldwork student or new OT grad that can't yet purchase the paid options, but still needs to be able to print out guides for patients.
Having discovered it myself after I started working, I really wish I knew about this during my level II fieldwork. It would've saved me a LOT of time combing through articles and texts for exercises and intervention ideas.
2. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
One of my other top favorite options for free HEP's is the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's free online content library. They've created an amazing topic page solely dedicated to free Occupational Therapy resources and handouts.
The resources on this topic page cover pretty much everything you could think of related to educating your patients, and include so much more than just exercises.
With 111 pages of resources just on the Occupational Therapy page, you'll be sure to find the exercise or educational handout you're looking for.
Just a few examples include: seated wheelchair exercises, tendon glides, self range of motion exercises, tenodesis grip exercises, and more.
This resource is also fantastic for non-exercise related topics too, like one-handed dressing techniques, energy conservation, scar massage and positioning (just to name a few).
You'll definitely want to bookmark this site for any future handouts you may need for your patients. Another bonus is that you don't need to log in, so you can very quickly access and print out the handouts you need without taking much time out of your busy day.
3. Pinterest
If you were born after 1980, you may be thinking 'Pinterest…that's a no-brainer!'
Surprisingly, not every occupational therapist uses Pinterest for OT-related topics, so I felt the need to share how great it is for finding home exercise programs as well as intervention ideas.
For those of you who aren't using Pinterest, all you need to do is create a free account and simply start searching for 'occupational therapy home exercise programs,' 'Theraputty hand exercises,' 'older adult home exercises,' and so on for a solid amount of resources from multiple sources.
Basically whatever you're looking for, Pinterest most likely has pins that will take you to relevant websites with the articles on your topics.
Just try not to get too distracted by the amazing recipes that might pop up on your feed 🙂
4. The UK National Health Service
No matter what country you live in, the UK National Health Service (NHS) Health and Fitness page has many great free home exercise programs.
They have a specific program for older adults, titled 'Exercises for Older People.' The program includes images and easy to follow instructions for flexibility, strength, balance, and sitting exercises.
The NHS also has many other informational pages discussing stretching, walking, and specific exercise programs for wheelchair-bound individuals with new or prior disabilities.
5. The Livestrong Foundation
The Livestrong Foundation also has quite a bit of free information on occupational therapy exercises for various conditions, including, but not limited, to stroke, diabetes, cardiac conditions, and arthritis.
It doesn't have as many images, detail or easy-to-print handouts, but does have helpful information on the site for your patients to skim through during their downtime.
Just a few articles that I've found related to OT:
There are quite a few more home exercises and healthy lifestyle articles on the Livestrong site than that, so have fun and poke around to see what else you'll find.
_______________
This concludes our list of five free home exercise program resources. I hope this list helped you find some some solid handouts for your patients without breaking the bank!
If you have any other favorite free resources that are not on this list, please share them in the comments below!
06.04.2018
Tools to Grow is pleased to present Kim Cassidy, Physical Therapist, who has the perfect solution to help the children in your life develop and strengthen their core and proximal stability. Kim will discuss her expertise in creating home exercise programs and introduce our new Strengthening Exercise Cards, Posters, Documentation, and Home Program. We are very thankful for Kim's dedication and passion towards child development.
My name is Kim Cassidy and I have the honor of working as the Director of Physical Therapy for Tools to Grow Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapy. I come to Tools to Grow Therapy with over 20 years of pediatric PT experience. Although I hold a full-time position working in a public school district in Western New York, I have never been able to give up my 'extra' jobs working for agencies that provide Home and Community therapy services for Early Intervention and Preschool students. It allows me the opportunity to work with kids and their families at the earliest stages of development, where I feel I can have the greatest impact. I am beyond excited about my new role at Tools to Grow Therapy and happy to share with you the exercise programs that I have developed and implemented over the years with students of all ages.
In my years as a pediatric physical therapist I have found that EVERY student that I work with benefits from further developing their core and proximal strength. A strong 'core' facilitates improved posture and offers a more stable base for higher level balance skills and coordinated movement of one's arms and legs.
What is Muscle Strength & Why is it Important?
Muscle strength refers to the amount of force that a child's muscle generates to support their joints, hold their body in upright postures, and move against gravity. Infants and young children develop muscle strength when playing in and transitioning between developmental positions such as prone, hands and knees, kneeling, and standing, and during motor play (climbing, jumping, stepping up /down, squatting and standing, running, lifting, and carrying toys).
The following strengthening exercises are to be used by therapists to further develop muscle strength and improve proximal stability (stability of the joints closest to the body such as the shoulder girdle and the hip joint) thus providing the support needed for optimal postural alignment and endurance, improved balance, and age appropriate motor coordination.
Increased shoulder stability and upper extremity strength provides a foundation for increased hand strength and improved fine motor control and precision. Improved hip stability and lower extremity strength provides a foundation for controlled transitions into and out of positions, efficient gait, and improved mobility skills (running, jumping, hopping, and climbing).
The way that children develop physically has changed with the always evolving infant and toddler positioning/seating options available. As a pediatric physical therapist, I clearly see the effects of this. Babies spend more time positioned in seating that offers them full support. From car seats and body slings to bouncy seats and swings, they simply do not spend as much time on a blanket on the floor as they used to. This adversely affects early development of the trunk muscles and muscles that surround the hips and shoulders. When these muscles do not develop sufficiently, children develop compensatory postures and movement patterns to accommodate for decreased strength and stability.
Exercise Programs
I strive to make PT sessions fun for the kids that I work with. I use positioning during game play and movement challenges (climbing, running, jumping, navigating obstacle courses) whenever I can during therapy sessions. I have found that as my students approach 4-5 years of age, an exercise program, although not always the most fun, is quite beneficial.
An exercise program can be used to target specific muscle groups and allows the therapist a hands-on approach to fade assist, advance the exercise, and increase repetitions. As students become more independent completing the exercises, an improvement in postural alignment and quality of movement is almost always noted. I have found that completing 3-5 exercises at the start of a therapy session engages the child and prepares their bodies for the movement or balance activities to follow.
As we approach summer vacation, I start to introduce exercises that the child can continue to work on with the support of their family while away from school and therapy. I teach 2-3 exercises at a time and will wait until a student can complete them well before adding more. I recommend practicing the exercises for a few weeks before sending them home. I have found that students are receptive to looking at pictures of the exercise and imitating them. I LOVE to use pictures of the child themselves doing the exercise in my programs- kids like to perform for the camera and parents are more receptive to the program when it comes home with cute pictures of their kid!
The exercises published here are the exercises that I use the most with students age 3-21. Pictures in both color and black/white are included for each exercise.
I hope that you find the exercise program a useful tool to use during therapy sessions as well as a resource for promoting carry over of strengthening activities at home.
STRENGTHENING Exercise Resources
Tools to Grow is excited to share the following new Strengthening Exercise resources! These include Exercise Cards, Exercise Posters, Tracking Forms, and Home Exercise Program.
The following exercises can be printed, laminated, and assembled to provide a visual tool for students to use while exercising with therapist or to be offered to families as a home exercise program.
Tools To Grow Exercise Strengthening Resources are organized into Four Sets:
![Ndt training schools Ndt training schools](http://workoutlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/get-fit-at-home-workout-program-440.jpg)
Set 1: CORE Strength
![Exercise Exercise](http://www.ptotkids.com/images/intensivetherapy1.png)
- Supine Flexion
- Sit-Ups
- Prone Extension
- Bridges
- Ball Pushes
- Cup Stack
- Cross Kicks
- Squat Jumps
- Mountain Climber
- Plank Jumps
- Plank
- Tables
- Table Kicks
- Donkey Kicks
Set 2: UPPER EXTREMITY Strength
- Knee Push-Ups
- Seated Push-Ups
- Wall Push-Ups
- Push-Ups
- Ball Press
- Standing Ball Press
- Tricep extensions
- Ball Curls
Set 3: LOWER EXTREMITY Strength
- Toe-Ups
- Wall Squats
- Squats
- Sit-to-Stands
- Stand-Ups
- Step-Ups
- Lunges
- Lower Extremity Strength: Using Scooter Board
- Foot/Ankle Strengthening Using a Ball
- Foot/Ankle Strengthening Using a Ball
- Foot/Ankle Strengthening Using Small Toys
Set 4: BILATERAL Coordination
![Stroke Stroke](https://i1.wp.com/foundationptsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Screen-Shot-2017-08-09-at-10.40.52-AM.png?resize=596%2C432)
Home Exercise Program 2 Go
- Jumping jacks (feet only)
- Jumping jacks
- Scissor jacks (feet only)
- Same side scissor jacks
- Opposite side scissor jacks
STRENGTHENING Exercise Cards
These strengthening exercise cards are the perfect tool to use in therapy, as well as to send home for carryover.
There are four high quality cards per page for a total of 38 cards. Includes Color and Black/White (Ink Friendly) Versions.
STRENGTHENING Exercise Tracking & Monitoring Forms
This Resource includes Five different versions. These forms are editable! You type directly into PDF to enter dates, student name, exercise, and tracking record.
Organized into the Four Sets of Exercise Cards. Lists Strengthening Exercises, Date Columns, and Key Code. A great and efficient way to track and monitor a child's ability to complete Strengthening Exercise Positions.
STRENGTHENING Exercise Posters
These strengthening exercise Posters are the perfect tool to use in therapy and clinic settings as a teaching tool.
There are two high quality posters per page for a total of 38 cards. Includes Color and Black/White (Ink Friendly) Versions.
Ndt Home Exercise Program Exercises
Physical Therapy: Home Exercise Program
This Home Exercise Program includes Parent/Welcome Letter and Three Versions of Monitoring/Tracking Forms.
Personalize by TYPING directly into PDF:
- Type into Parent Letter to personalize instructions
- Student Name/Month
- Type Therapist Name
Three Versions of Tracking Forms Included:
(1) Calendar Version:
- Type Days of Month
- Type Exercises you wish student to complete in each square
(2) Tracking Sheet Version: 5 Column Version
- Type Exercises into Columns
Home Exercise Program For Seniors
(3) Tracking Sheet Version: 10 Column Version
5. The Livestrong Foundation
The Livestrong Foundation also has quite a bit of free information on occupational therapy exercises for various conditions, including, but not limited, to stroke, diabetes, cardiac conditions, and arthritis.
It doesn't have as many images, detail or easy-to-print handouts, but does have helpful information on the site for your patients to skim through during their downtime.
Just a few articles that I've found related to OT:
There are quite a few more home exercises and healthy lifestyle articles on the Livestrong site than that, so have fun and poke around to see what else you'll find.
_______________
This concludes our list of five free home exercise program resources. I hope this list helped you find some some solid handouts for your patients without breaking the bank!
If you have any other favorite free resources that are not on this list, please share them in the comments below!
06.04.2018
Tools to Grow is pleased to present Kim Cassidy, Physical Therapist, who has the perfect solution to help the children in your life develop and strengthen their core and proximal stability. Kim will discuss her expertise in creating home exercise programs and introduce our new Strengthening Exercise Cards, Posters, Documentation, and Home Program. We are very thankful for Kim's dedication and passion towards child development.
My name is Kim Cassidy and I have the honor of working as the Director of Physical Therapy for Tools to Grow Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapy. I come to Tools to Grow Therapy with over 20 years of pediatric PT experience. Although I hold a full-time position working in a public school district in Western New York, I have never been able to give up my 'extra' jobs working for agencies that provide Home and Community therapy services for Early Intervention and Preschool students. It allows me the opportunity to work with kids and their families at the earliest stages of development, where I feel I can have the greatest impact. I am beyond excited about my new role at Tools to Grow Therapy and happy to share with you the exercise programs that I have developed and implemented over the years with students of all ages.
In my years as a pediatric physical therapist I have found that EVERY student that I work with benefits from further developing their core and proximal strength. A strong 'core' facilitates improved posture and offers a more stable base for higher level balance skills and coordinated movement of one's arms and legs.
What is Muscle Strength & Why is it Important?
Muscle strength refers to the amount of force that a child's muscle generates to support their joints, hold their body in upright postures, and move against gravity. Infants and young children develop muscle strength when playing in and transitioning between developmental positions such as prone, hands and knees, kneeling, and standing, and during motor play (climbing, jumping, stepping up /down, squatting and standing, running, lifting, and carrying toys).
The following strengthening exercises are to be used by therapists to further develop muscle strength and improve proximal stability (stability of the joints closest to the body such as the shoulder girdle and the hip joint) thus providing the support needed for optimal postural alignment and endurance, improved balance, and age appropriate motor coordination.
Increased shoulder stability and upper extremity strength provides a foundation for increased hand strength and improved fine motor control and precision. Improved hip stability and lower extremity strength provides a foundation for controlled transitions into and out of positions, efficient gait, and improved mobility skills (running, jumping, hopping, and climbing).
The way that children develop physically has changed with the always evolving infant and toddler positioning/seating options available. As a pediatric physical therapist, I clearly see the effects of this. Babies spend more time positioned in seating that offers them full support. From car seats and body slings to bouncy seats and swings, they simply do not spend as much time on a blanket on the floor as they used to. This adversely affects early development of the trunk muscles and muscles that surround the hips and shoulders. When these muscles do not develop sufficiently, children develop compensatory postures and movement patterns to accommodate for decreased strength and stability.
Exercise Programs
I strive to make PT sessions fun for the kids that I work with. I use positioning during game play and movement challenges (climbing, running, jumping, navigating obstacle courses) whenever I can during therapy sessions. I have found that as my students approach 4-5 years of age, an exercise program, although not always the most fun, is quite beneficial.
An exercise program can be used to target specific muscle groups and allows the therapist a hands-on approach to fade assist, advance the exercise, and increase repetitions. As students become more independent completing the exercises, an improvement in postural alignment and quality of movement is almost always noted. I have found that completing 3-5 exercises at the start of a therapy session engages the child and prepares their bodies for the movement or balance activities to follow.
As we approach summer vacation, I start to introduce exercises that the child can continue to work on with the support of their family while away from school and therapy. I teach 2-3 exercises at a time and will wait until a student can complete them well before adding more. I recommend practicing the exercises for a few weeks before sending them home. I have found that students are receptive to looking at pictures of the exercise and imitating them. I LOVE to use pictures of the child themselves doing the exercise in my programs- kids like to perform for the camera and parents are more receptive to the program when it comes home with cute pictures of their kid!
The exercises published here are the exercises that I use the most with students age 3-21. Pictures in both color and black/white are included for each exercise.
I hope that you find the exercise program a useful tool to use during therapy sessions as well as a resource for promoting carry over of strengthening activities at home.
STRENGTHENING Exercise Resources
Tools to Grow is excited to share the following new Strengthening Exercise resources! These include Exercise Cards, Exercise Posters, Tracking Forms, and Home Exercise Program.
The following exercises can be printed, laminated, and assembled to provide a visual tool for students to use while exercising with therapist or to be offered to families as a home exercise program.
Tools To Grow Exercise Strengthening Resources are organized into Four Sets:
Set 1: CORE Strength
- Supine Flexion
- Sit-Ups
- Prone Extension
- Bridges
- Ball Pushes
- Cup Stack
- Cross Kicks
- Squat Jumps
- Mountain Climber
- Plank Jumps
- Plank
- Tables
- Table Kicks
- Donkey Kicks
Set 2: UPPER EXTREMITY Strength
- Knee Push-Ups
- Seated Push-Ups
- Wall Push-Ups
- Push-Ups
- Ball Press
- Standing Ball Press
- Tricep extensions
- Ball Curls
Set 3: LOWER EXTREMITY Strength
- Toe-Ups
- Wall Squats
- Squats
- Sit-to-Stands
- Stand-Ups
- Step-Ups
- Lunges
- Lower Extremity Strength: Using Scooter Board
- Foot/Ankle Strengthening Using a Ball
- Foot/Ankle Strengthening Using a Ball
- Foot/Ankle Strengthening Using Small Toys
Set 4: BILATERAL Coordination
Home Exercise Program 2 Go
- Jumping jacks (feet only)
- Jumping jacks
- Scissor jacks (feet only)
- Same side scissor jacks
- Opposite side scissor jacks
STRENGTHENING Exercise Cards
These strengthening exercise cards are the perfect tool to use in therapy, as well as to send home for carryover.
There are four high quality cards per page for a total of 38 cards. Includes Color and Black/White (Ink Friendly) Versions.
STRENGTHENING Exercise Tracking & Monitoring Forms
This Resource includes Five different versions. These forms are editable! You type directly into PDF to enter dates, student name, exercise, and tracking record.
Organized into the Four Sets of Exercise Cards. Lists Strengthening Exercises, Date Columns, and Key Code. A great and efficient way to track and monitor a child's ability to complete Strengthening Exercise Positions.
STRENGTHENING Exercise Posters
These strengthening exercise Posters are the perfect tool to use in therapy and clinic settings as a teaching tool.
There are two high quality posters per page for a total of 38 cards. Includes Color and Black/White (Ink Friendly) Versions.
Ndt Home Exercise Program Exercises
Physical Therapy: Home Exercise Program
This Home Exercise Program includes Parent/Welcome Letter and Three Versions of Monitoring/Tracking Forms.
Personalize by TYPING directly into PDF:
- Type into Parent Letter to personalize instructions
- Student Name/Month
- Type Therapist Name
Three Versions of Tracking Forms Included:
(1) Calendar Version:
- Type Days of Month
- Type Exercises you wish student to complete in each square
(2) Tracking Sheet Version: 5 Column Version
- Type Exercises into Columns
Home Exercise Program For Seniors
(3) Tracking Sheet Version: 10 Column Version
- Type Exercises into Columns
FREE! Summer Gross Motor Fun!
Tools to Grow is excited to present our SUMMER Physical Therapy Gross Motor Fun! This Summer Packet is a FREE Printable! This Packet includes:
- Parent/Caregiver Introduction Letter
- Gross Motor Checklist of Summer Fun!
- Exercise Checklist – Editable!
Personalize by TYPING directly into PDF:
- Type Student Name
- Type Therapist Name
- Type Exercises into Chart
Find these NEW STRENGTHENING EXERCISE resources here!
Find more Summer Resources here!
Ndt Training Schools
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