Why FUN is One of the Most Important Things We can Bring to Our Patients

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Many of our patients have multiple health concerns and challenges that they are facing. We are responsible for helping them gain back their strength and independence.  Most patients do not like to exercise, Surprise!  For this reason, it’s important to get to know your patient and to find a way for them to invest into the therapy process.

We have found that patients respond better to games and fun as opposed to the same boring exercises each session. If you can mix in a fun activity between painful or difficult ones, patient are more willing to participate.

For example instead of just having a patient focus on standing balance, have them play basketball with a few simple toys from the dollar store. When patients are bored with gait training, take this time as an opportunity to get to know your patient better and ask them to take you on a tour of their home.  It can be a fun ticky way to have the patient continue with activity and they often don’t realize that its exercise. 

With patients who are deconditioned, even simple activities can be a challenge, so making the patient a part of establishing a plan of care can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful bout of therapy. Remember, if it’s not fun for you, it probably isn’t fun for your patient either.