Exercise therapy

Strength, flexibility, speed, endurance, and coordination are the five so-called fundamental motor skills. All of these can be influenced by training, and within physiotherapy, we then speak of exercise or training therapy.

Exercise therapy can be implemented in many different ways, although they have some things in common. Exercise therapy always requires active commitment from the patient and is aimed at improving weak points of the body. Often multiple fundamental motor skills are trained at the same time, for example muscular endurance and explosive strength.

Strength

By strength we mean muscle strength, i.e. how strong a muscle or muscle group is. We need muscle strength to move ourselves or to hold a posture. Strength is an umbrella term under which different types of strength fall. For example, we distinguish explosive strength, maximal strength, muscular endurance, etc.

These different types all require a different approach. During strength training, varying exercises, repetitions, speeds and weights are therefore used. The training is thus specifically tailored to the type of strength that needs to be trained.

Flexibility

Flexibility indicates the degree of freedom of movement of joints and muscles. When mobility is limited, this can affect someone's movement and functioning. For example, a stiff ankle joint can impede the rolling of the foot. This limits walking or running, which can lead to injuries. Excessive flexibility can also cause problems; this happens when a joint becomes unstable.

Speed

Speed is the ability to move yourself or an object within a certain time. It is about how quickly the joints change position. This can of course happen fast or slow and in one or multiple joints at the same time.

When sprinting, the whole body moves. When throwing a ball, only part of the body is given speed, in this case the arm and trunk. But the harder you throw the ball, the more of the body is involved.

Endurance

Endurance enables us to sustain a certain activity (for a long time). Compare the endurance of a 100 m sprinter with that of a marathon runner. The former will be more explosive and powerful, but the marathon runner has the ability to maintain a certain pace for a very long time.

This has to do with adaptations of the cardio-respiratory system and with adaptations of the muscles and tendons themselves. The ability to take up more oxygen and pump more blood around is the result of fitness training. This can be done, for example, by cycling, running and swimming. By training with varying intensity, the so-called interval training, the best result is achieved.

Coordination

To be able to move well, the nerves must send the right impulses to the muscles. Coordination is a complex interplay between nerves and muscles, in which the right muscles contract at the right moment and with sufficient force. At the same time, other muscles must relax to allow that movement. Someone with good coordination moves effectively and with the least possible effort.

To function well physically, all these fundamental motor skills are important. However, more emphasis can be placed on one or more skills depending on the person. For example, a baseball player will train a lot for strength, speed and coordination and a marathon runner will focus more on training endurance.

Make an appointment with a physiotherapist if you have symptoms.