Whether your injury was as simple as a broken leg or as complex as a bad back, chances are good that once your hospital time is done you're in for a bout of physical therapy. But physical therapy is hard, as you have to teach your muscles to do what they must, and can often leave you sore and discouraged at the end of the day. You have to do it, however, or you won't heal correctly – so if you're looking for a few tips and tricks for making your physical therapy sessions work for you, rather than against you, then here's what you need to know.

Consult an Expert

If you start off doing your exercises incorrectly (or have no idea what exercises will be best for you), you're going to have a bad time with physical therapy. Talk to a physical therapist before you begin, whether at a hospital or a therapist that is privately practicing. They can tell you what exercises will benefit you the most, how to do them, and how not to do them, which is just as important. Take notes if you think you'll forget; starting out correctly is one of the biggest hurdles to recovery.

Reward Yourself

Physical therapy is hard, and people generally don't like to do hard, painful things over and over – but a reward can soften the blow. Make sure to give yourself little rewards for doing your best, even if the best you can do that day is to show up and work for just a few minutes. Getting down on yourself for not progressing as quickly as you want to is a surefire way to make you hate your physical therapy and to stop doing it – and all that'll do is cause you to heal oddly and much more slowly. When you break personal records, take yourself out to a movie or something – it'll inspire you to keep working until you're as back to normal as you can be.

Below Sea Level

If all else fails, the best way to get your physical therapy in without causing incredible strain and injury to your healing body is to take it to the pool. Exercising in water is great for rehabilitation, as it's absolutely zero-impact, and can take away a bit of the embarrassment that you might feel surrounded by a bunch of completely health people, as no one can watch you when most of your body is underwater. Whether you choose deep-water exercises or stay in the shallow end, exercising in water improves your circulation and allows you to warm up and cool down more quickly, ensuring that if you tire yourself out you can stop almost immediately without making yourself sore.

For more information, contact companies like Physical Therapy Center PC.