Exercises Aren’t the Fix: Why real, lasting change requires more than a home program

I’ve been in a ton of evaluations over the years at Empowered and other practices where patients will say “Okay, so give me a few stretches and exercises and I’ll be good to go!” More so, there have been countless times I’ve had people come up to me at the gym and say something along the lines of “My knee hurts, what exercise should I do for that?”

Here's the thing: It’s not about the exercises.

Honestly, not even a little bit… and I feel this way for so many reasons. Welcome to my TED Talk.

If it were about the exercises… why hasn’t Googling it worked?

You can type any ache or pain into Google or ChatGPT and get a full “rehab plan.” And honestly…it looks legit. But here’s why it falls short:

1. Google can’t physically look at you, the human behind the screen. Google can’t assess your movement patterns, and Google doesn’t know if your shoulder pain actually started because of something in your neck or your thoracic spine. In short, Google can’t personalize this to YOU. It’s spitting out generalized exercises without assessment. It’s kind of like throwing darts being blind folded, hoping something hits the mark.

2. Google gives exercises without context. What I mean here is exercise without context can be ineffective and sometimes even harmful. Without the appropriate timing of when to do these things, appropriate dosing (sets and reps), proper form and cueing, and consistency…these will fall short 10 times out of 10. If Google says to do nerve glides or stretching of your hamstrings for very acute low back pain, you’re probably going to feel much worse. I’m not here to say that Googling your problem is bad, and honestly a few exercises might help – which is great! This is just the tip of the iceberg though, and it’s not a long term solution. Chances are, you’ll stop doing this exercise and the problem will arise again.

You are NOT your diagnosis

I will go to the grave saying this. You are a human, and humans are complex (in a good way!) You are not a robot, which means that the “fix” for your shoulder pain is not the same as your neighbor who also might have shoulder pain. Pain and injuries are not straight forward like a math problem. Think of them more like artwork – no two pieces are the same, and they’re up for interpretation. Every single person’s journey with their physical body is different – they live different lives, they spend their days doing different things, they have different relationships and stressors, their thought processes are different, they get different amounts of sleep, and they have different movement practices. This means the way we educate, the treatment plan, and the way we progress things along are different. That being said, there are no two patients that have the same plan of care. Notice that this “plan” follows a timeline – a single exercise will not get you here. There are so many other factors that drive the plan to help you, the individual.

What is it really about then?

It’s about you, and honestly it’s about trusting someone with your care and following the plan that you help set with them. This is much more vulnerable than it seems, and it takes a lot of courage to let go of some of the control you think you have. It means being honest with what you’re feeling, what you’re doing in your day-to-day life that can contribute to what you’re feeling, and being open to share that with someone you trust. It also means following the plan even when progress seems realllyyyyy slow. Trust the process.

Healing takes time, and your physical body responds to repeated, consistent input. Brushing your teeth once doesn’t prevent cavities, it’s the daily habits you form that actually make the difference. This goes for “exercises”, sure, but really what I mean here is in caring for yourself. The people that find the most consistency are the people who are scheduled on a recurring basis in the clinic, because it becomes a habit. It’s a check in point; it’s an hour a week or every 2 weeks that is completely about them taking care of themselves. It is accountability for what they’ve been doing, but it’s also a crucial time to give feedback and an opportunity for adjustments in the plan. We say it all the time: progress isn’t linear. But one of the best ways to stay on track is by making small, intentional adjustments along the way so the process stays smooth and sustainable.

No one movement or exercise can solve your problems. It is the culmination of movements and all the work you put in over time (physically and mentally), and progressing/changing things appropriately as time goes on.  Over this time, new habits are formed. The way you move or sit throughout your day changes. You form new movement practices. The way you think about your body or “pain” changes, and you start seeing it as building resilience instead of breaking down. Your ways to manage stress change, and the way you carry that stress in your body changes. In short, consistency, accountability, and changing habits over time are the real answer. Along the way you add tools to your tool box to do these things and to mitigate aches and pains.

There is no single exercise that will do this for you. YOU will do this for you, but you’re not expected to know how to do it alone. Find a health professional that believes in these things and believes in you as a person. If you go to someone who doesn’t portray these things or tries to sell you a “quick fix”, please, please continue to advocate for yourself and find someone else.