Our muscles allow us to move, lift, and perform daily activities. Unfortunately, injuries can occur anytime due to accidents, strain, or overuse. When this happens, it can feel debilitating and hinder our ability to complete daily tasks as we’re used to.
Rehabilitation and physical therapy facilities often use strength training equipment to help patients recover from injuries and regain muscle strength. Individuals can regain strength by doing the essential exercises as they build muscle mass. This guide details the role of strength equipment in injury recovery and what to look for when buying weight-lifting machines.
Why Have Strength Equipment?
Strength equipment is integral to improving muscle strength, impacting various aspects of recovery and daily life. For example, if someone comes in with an ankle injury, strengthening leg muscles helps them regain balance and avoid future injuries.
Other reasons to have strength training equipment in your rehab facility include:
Improves Range of Motion
Many associate weight-lifting with bulking muscles, but there are countless reasons to keep your body strong. When injured, people tend to favor a particular body part or use it less often, which could lead to stiffness and a reduced range of motion in the underused areas.
Weight-lifting targets specific areas of the body and forces muscles to work in full motion. This movement helps stretch and strengthen muscles, leading to an improved range of motion. As muscles gain strength, individuals can exercise without pain and easily perform daily activities.
Tailored Approaches to Different Injuries
Different injuries require varying exercises and rehab approaches. Strength training equipment provides a more targeted approach to injury recovery, as it allows for resistance training in specific muscle groups. For example, if someone comes in with a shoulder injury, you may help them gradually increase strength in that area by using an overhead press machine.
Types of Strength to Buy
Knowing the role of strength equipment in rehab and injury recovery can help you make an informed choice. Below, we’ve outlined the machines designed to support rehabilitation of the arms, abdomen, legs, glutes, chest, and back.
Arm Muscles
Machines targeting arm strength are crucial for recovering mobility and functionality in the upper limbs. Consider the following machines for improving arm strength:
Seated Arm Curl Machines
A seated arm curl machine targets the biceps and forearms. The seat supports the user, eliminating strain on other muscle groups when exercising. You may also invest in a seated arm extension machine to strengthen the triceps and maintain balance in the upper body.
Cable Pully System
A cable pulley system, like TRUE’s Functional Trainers, is one of a rehab facility’s most versatile weight machines. It allows users to easily isolate arm muscle groups and perform various exercises, such as bicep curls and extensions. The adjustable resistance feature also makes it suitable for users at different stages of injury recovery.
Abdominal Muscles
Your abdominal muscles are essential to maintaining stability during any task; even sitting engages ab strength. While many rehab exercises can help patients build abdominal strength without equipment, adding the following machines can help enhance strength development:
Ab Crunch Machine
An ab crunch machine targets the abdominal muscles and is an excellent addition to any rehab facility. It allows users to perform controlled movements that target their core without straining their neck or back. The adjustable resistance feature also makes it suitable for users at different stages of recovery.
Standing Rotational Torso Machine
Using a standing rotational torso machine, like TRUE’s SPL-1500 Rotary Torso, engages the abdominal muscles and mimics real-life movements that require core strength, such as twisting or turning to grab an object. This type of equipment can be beneficial for individuals recovering from back injuries or improving overall balance.
Leg and Glute Muscles
Injuries to the legs or glutes can significantly impact an individual’s mobility, leading to pain or difficulties moving around. Strength equipment that could help improve recovery includes:
Leg Extension Machine
A leg extension machine targets the quadriceps, a crucial muscle group for everyday movements such as walking, standing, and climbing stairs. This type of machine also allows for gradual resistance adjustments to accommodate various stages of injury recovery; patients can slowly increase the weight they lift with their legs.
Abductor and Adductor Machine
Without targeted exercises, recovering from injuries to the glutes and thighs can be challenging. The abductor machine targets the outer thigh muscles, while the adductor machine focuses on the inner thighs. Check out TRUE’s Palladium Series Inner and Outer Thigh piece—it’s space-efficient and provides easily accessible 11 positions to best suit the user. Patients should use the machines in tandem to isolate both major muscle groups and enhance overall leg strength.
Glute Kickback Machine
The glutes are the largest muscle group in the body, so activating them is vital to regaining lower-body strength. This type of strength equipment allows users to set a comfortable weight and perform a range of movements that target the glutes and hips. See TRUE’s SPL-1700 Glute Press for a comfortable, upright design with superior body alignment and support.
Chest Muscles
Our chest muscles are another key body group as they help us lift objects or push ourselves up. Consider strength machines such as:
Chest Press Machine
A chest press machine typically has adjustable handles that help users target different areas of the chest muscles. This machine helps target specific chest muscles, such as the pectoralis major and the anterior deltoids. Improving strength in these areas makes it easier for recovering individuals to complete tasks such as pushing doors and supporting posture, among other daily activities.
Rowing Machine
A rower allows you to combine cardio and strength training for a full-body workout. This machine also targets numerous muscle groups as you push and pull on the rower’s handles; the movement style engages the chest muscles since you must push the handles away from your body.
Back Muscles
Injuries to the back can be debilitating, and recovery often requires targeted exercises that strengthen the spine’s surrounding muscles. Strength equipment that could prove beneficial includes:
Lat Pulldown Machine
A lat pulldown machine engages the back muscles, specifically the latissimus dorsi, essential in pulling movements like opening a drawer or lifting something overhead. It also helps improve posture by strengthening the muscles that support the spine.
Keep in mind that, unlike most weight machines, you’ll want to set the assisted pull-up machine to a higher weight to lift less. This takes the strain off your body. If a patient weighs 130 lbs. and sets the machine to 100 lbs., it’ll be like lifting 30 lbs.
Contact TRUE Fitness
TRUE sells various commercial weight-lifting equipment options that you can purchase for your rehab facility to help patients with rehabilitation. Our machines have adjustable resistance, durable frames, and comfortable padding for optimal user experience. Contact us today to learn more about our products and how they can benefit your rehab facility.