If you’ve been injured and are working your way back to health, you may be sent to physical therapy as part of your recovery. While the work you do at physical therapy can be challenging, it’s worth the effort. A professional physical therapist can help you regain strength, balance, and flexibility that may have been lost as a result of your injury or accident. But what should you wear to physical therapy? We’ll walk you through your options in this post.
What are You Rehabbing?
While you might not know exactly what you will be doing during your physical therapy sessions, you can make some basic assumptions based on the type of injury you suffered. For instance, if you damage your hand or wrist in an accident, or you had surgery in these areas to repair some long-term damage, you can safely assume that most of the work you do will be from the elbow down. In that case, it won’t really matter what you wear; just choose whatever is comfortable or convenient.
However, if you are rehabbing an injury to a larger part of your body like your shoulder or knee, the work you do in therapy will likely be more strenuous, which means your clothing considerations are more important. Ultimately, the goal is to make sure nothing you wear gets in the way of doing your exercises and making progress toward your health goals.
Think Flexible
When a part of the body is immobilized due to injury (in a cast or sling, for instance), it tends to get stiff and rigid. Therefore, one goal of physical therapy is often to regain flexibility. This means you need to wear loose, stretchy clothing that will allow you to work on your flexibility without any trouble. Garments made with synthetic materials are a good option, because they will offer more stretch than cotton-based garments.
It May Get Sweaty
While you might not work as hard at physical therapy as you would “in the gym,” you can still get sweaty. With that in mind, choose comfortable clothing that you won’t mind having to wash after each visit. Lightweight, breathable garments designed for general exercise are a good bet. (Read: not jeans.) Consider moisture-wicking clothing to keep you cool and prevent your garments from restricting your movements as you sweat.
Comfort Counts
You might feel a little self-conscious about doing exercises and stretches in front of strangers, especially if you are not used to being physically active or going to a gym. If this will be an issue for you, focus on picking clothes that will make you feel confident and comfortable in your own skin. You want to focus on getting healthy, not what anyone else is thinking about how you look!
Fight Off Odor with WIN Detergent!
After a challenging physical therapy session, your clothes will probably be sweaty and in need of a wash. If those garments are made with synthetic fibers, use WIN Detergent to make sure they smell great for your next appointment. Our detergent is designed to eliminate the oils and bacteria that build up in synthetic materials—something that regular laundry detergent just can’t do. Order a bottle of WIN today and smell the difference for yourself!