How can you design effective functional training programs for clients who have had surgery?

1 Know the surgery details

Before you start planning any exercises, you need to know what kind of surgery your client had, when they had it, and what their recovery process has been like. Different types of surgery may affect different muscles, joints, nerves, and tissues, and may have different restrictions and precautions. For example, a client who had a knee replacement may need to avoid high-impact movements, while a client who had a spinal fusion may need to avoid twisting or bending. You also need to know how long ago your client had the surgery, and what kind of physical therapy or rehabilitation they have done or are still doing. This will help you determine their current level of function, pain, range of motion, and stability.

2 Assess the functional needs

Once you have a clear picture of your client's surgical history, you need to assess their functional needs and goals. What are the activities that they want to perform better, easier, or pain-free? These could be anything from walking, climbing stairs, lifting groceries, playing with kids, or returning to sports. You need to identify the specific movements, muscles, and skills that are involved in these activities, and how they relate to your client's surgical site and recovery. For example, if your client wants to improve their golf swing after a shoulder surgery, you need to consider how the shoulder joint, rotator cuff, scapular stabilizers, core, and hips work together to produce power and control.

3 Choose the appropriate exercises

Based on your client's surgery details and functional needs, you can choose the appropriate exercises that will challenge them without compromising their safety or healing. You need to follow the principles of progressive overload, specificity, and individualization, and adjust the variables of frequency, intensity, duration, and mode according to your client's response and feedback. You also need to select exercises that mimic or enhance the functional movements that your client wants to improve, and that target the relevant muscles, joints, and planes of motion. For example, if your client wants to improve their balance after a hip surgery, you can start with simple exercises like standing on one leg, and progress to more complex ones like stepping over obstacles or using unstable surfaces.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?