Why Home Exercise Programs Matter

If your child has ever been given exercises to do at home, you already know the challenge: life gets busy, motivation fades and those exercises don’t always happen the way they should.  

The study Patient Involvement with Home-Based Exercise Programs: Can Connected Health Interventions Influence Adherence? by Rob Argent, Ailish Daly and Brian Caulfield explores this exact issue and offers some encouraging ideas about how we can better support families.  

The Big Problem: Sticking With Home Exercise Is Hard.  

Studies show that up to 50% of people don’t fully follow their home exercise programs when they have exercises for physical therapy, speech therapy or occupational therapy.   

That’s not because families don’t care, it’s because home programs can be:  

• Easy to forget 

• Hard to understand 

• Difficult to stay motivated to do 

• Tricky to perform correctly without guidance 

For kids, especially, exercises can feel repetitive or even boring.  

Why It Matters  

When exercises aren’t done regularly (or correctly), progress can slow down. The research shows that consistent participation leads to better outcomes, while poor follow-through can: 

• Delay recovery or results 

• Reduce strength and coordination gains  

• Extend therapy time  

In simple terms: practice really does make progress!  

One of the most helpful takeaways from this article is that “adherence” isn’t just doing the exercise, it’s doing it well.  

That includes:  

• Completing the recommended number of repetitions 

• Using correct form  

• Staying consistent over time 

Even when kids are doing their exercises, they may not get the full benefit without support.  

The Takeaway 

Home exercises don’t have to be a battle. When they’re playful, simple and consistent, kids are much more likely to join in and that’s where real progress happens. To learn about pediatric physical therapy in Colorado, as well as occupational and speech therapy, contact us today at OASIS Pediatric Therapy. 

Written by: Carlee Robbins, PTA