Riverside Physical Therapy

Riverside Physical Therapy IRG Physical & Hand Therapy is the Northwest's premier physical and hand therapy group. We want to make it easy for patients to get the care they need.

We have locations throughout the Puget Sound, so you'll never have to travel far to receive exceptional service. Nestled in a northern Idaho valley sits a small community packed with big adventure. Orofino, Idaho has year-round recreational activities that attract families and thrill seekers alike. At Riverside Physical Therapy, we strive to achieve results quickly with virtually every condition or injury. We offer a full range of specialized services to cover a majority of patient conditions. We offer early morning and evening appointments to accommodate a variety of schedules, and we accept most insurance plans, including Medicare and Worker's Compensation.

02/02/2026

🔥 Lower body burner! 🔥
5 rounds to build strength, stability, and serious posterior chain power. Split squats for control, RDLs for hamstrings + glutes, half-kneeling hip raises for hip stability, and calf raises to finish strong. Quality reps > rushing. Your legs will thank you later 💪

5 rounds:
-10 split squats 1/2 to 1 full rep
-15 RDL’s
-15 half kneeling hip raises
-20 calf raises

*Sorry for the increase in speed of my voice in the video it has to meet a time requirement and the only way is to speed it up🤪

02/01/2026

Exercise can look different for everyone, this is how we spend our Saturday! ⛷️ Benefits of skiing for exercise

1. Full-body strength
Skiing engages the lower body heavily (quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves) while the core and upper body stabilize and assist with balance and pole use. The constant changes in terrain require your muscles to work dynamically, which builds real-world strength.

2. Core stability & postural control
You’re constantly fighting gravity and rotation, which fires deep core muscles (especially transverse abdominis and obliques). This helps improve spinal stability and posture — similar to what we aim for in PT rehab and functional training.

3. Balance & proprioception
Skiing challenges your nervous system to react quickly to changing surfaces, speeds, and slopes. This improves joint awareness and neuromuscular control, which translates directly to injury prevention and fall risk reduction as we age.

4. Cardiovascular endurance
Even though it doesn’t feel like “steady-state cardio,” skiing keeps your heart rate elevated through repeated runs, altitude exposure, and active recovery between lifts. It’s a great interval-style workout.

01/28/2026

🦶 Heel-Elevated Squats

What happens biomechanically?

🔹 1. Reduces Ankle Dorsiflexion Demand

Elevating the heels decreases how much the ankle must dorsiflex (shin forward), making it easier for people with limited ankle mobility to achieve deeper squats without compensatory forward trunk lean. A more upright torso posture reduces shear loading on the spine and improves balance during the squat.

🔹 2. Alters Muscle Activation

Some research shows that raising the heel can increase activation of quadriceps muscles such as vastus lateralis and may also increase activation in muscles like the gastrocnemius during squatting. This redistribution of muscle workload can enhance knee extensor engagement in specific contexts.

🔹 3. Reduces Lower Back Stress

By reducing required ankle mobility and forward tilt, heel elevation tends to keep the torso more upright. This change may lower lumbar shear forces, making squatting technically easier and potentially safer for people with mobility limitations or low-back concerns.

🔹 4. Functional & Clinical Use

Clinicians and trainers often use heel elevation as a tool in rehabilitation or mobility progression because it can help individuals achieve proper depth and movement patterns they might otherwise struggle with due to limited ankle motion.
⸝

🦵 Toe-Elevated RDLs / Deadlifts

Key idea: Elevating the toes shifts body mechanics during a hip-hinge pattern.

🔹 1. Theoretical Posterior Chain Tension Changes

Elevating the toes increases ankle dorsiflexion at the start, which in theory:
• Places the hamstrings in a slightly lengthened position before hinging,
• Reduces calf involvement, and
• Encourages a more pronounced posterior chain stretch during the eccentric phase, potentially increasing tension on hamstrings and glutes.

01/26/2026

Jumping exercises (also called plyometrics or impact training) can be very beneficial as we get older—when they’re done safely and appropriately. Here’s why they matter from a whole-body and physical-therapy perspective:

⸝

1. Improves bone density 🦴
• Impact forces from jumping stimulate osteoblast activity, helping maintain or increase bone density.
• This is one of the most effective non-pharmacological ways to reduce osteoporosis risk.
• Especially important for the hips, spine, and lower extremities, where fractures are most dangerous with aging.

⸝

2. Preserves fast-twitch muscle fibers 💪
• Aging leads to loss of Type II (fast-twitch) muscle fibers, which are critical for:
• Preventing falls
• Quick reactions (catching yourself if you trip)
• Jumping trains power, not just strength—something slow lifting alone doesn’t fully address.

⸝

3. Enhances balance and fall prevention ⚖️
• Landing from a jump challenges:
• Proprioception
• Ankle, knee, and hip stability
• This improves neuromuscular control, making everyday tasks like stepping off a curb or recovering from a stumble safer.

01/21/2026

1 to 2 ROUNDS
-100 sit ups
-100 v-ups
-100 heel touch
*please split up as needed

Rhabdo (short for rhabdomyolysis) is a serious medical condition where skeletal muscle tissue breaks down rapidly and releases its contents into the bloodstream.

What happens in rhabdomyolysis

When muscle fibers break down, they release:
• Myoglobin (a muscle protein)
• Creatine kinase (CK)
• Electrolytes (potassium, phosphorus)

Myoglobin can be toxic to the kidneys, potentially leading to acute kidney failure if not treated quickly.

Common causes
• Extreme or unaccustomed exercise (especially high-rep or high-intensity workouts like AMRAPs, CrossFit-style training, or “too much, too fast”)
• Heat illness or dehydration
• Trauma or crush injuries
• Prolonged immobilization
• Certain medications or drugs (statins, alcohol, illicit drugs)
• Infections or metabolic conditions

Signs and symptoms (classic triad)
• Severe muscle pain, swelling, or weakness
• Dark, tea- or cola-colored urine
• Fatigue or feeling unwell

⚠️ Not everyone has all three symptoms.

Why it’s dangerous
• Can cause acute kidney injury
• Can lead to electrolyte imbalances, increasing risk of heart rhythm issues

01/19/2026

AMRAP stands for “As Many Rounds (or Reps) As Possible.”

Key rules
• Quality over quantity: good form always comes first
• You can rest as needed, but the clock keeps running
• Try to move at a sustainable pace, not an all-out sprint from the start

Why AMRAPs are effective
• Improve muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness
• Easily modifiable for all fitness levels
• Great way to measure progress over time (more reps/rounds = improvement)

As a physical therapist, AMRAPs are especially useful when you cue proper mechanics and choose functional movements—perfect for building strength without overcomplicating workouts.

20 min. AMRAP
-12 push ups
-12 air squats
-20 step ups lateral
-30 sec high plank pull throughs

01/16/2026

The prayer stretch (often called child’s pose with arms extended) is used because it gently improves thoracic mobility, shoulder flexibility, and breathing mechanics—all while calming the nervous system.

Here’s the why behind it 👇

1. Improves Thoracic Flexion

The prayer stretch encourages movement through the thoracic spine, helping:
• Reduce mid-back stiffness
• Restore segmental flexion
• Balance out excessive extension postures (desk work, lifting)

2. Opens the Shoulders & Lats

With arms overhead, the stretch targets:
• Latissimus dorsi
• Teres major
• Posterior shoulder structures

Tight lats can limit overhead motion and pull the spine into compensation—this stretch helps reverse that.

3. Enhances Rib Cage & Breathing Mechanics

By placing the torso over the thighs:
• Posterior rib expansion is encouraged
• Diaphragmatic breathing improves
• Neck and upper trap overuse decreases

This makes it great as a reset between sets or sessions.

4. Decompresses the Spine

The flexed position creates a gentle traction effect:
• Reduces spinal compression
• Relieves low back tension
• Provides a safe position for recovery days

5. Downregulates the Nervous System

Slow breathing in the prayer stretch:
• Shifts the body toward parasympathetic (“rest and digest”)
• Reduces muscle tone
• Improves overall recovery

01/14/2026

Doing functional, body-weight exercises 2–3 times per week is beneficial because it builds strength, mobility, and control in a way that directly carries over to everyday life.

✅. Here’s why it matters:

• Improves real-life movement
Functional exercises mimic how your body naturally moves—squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, stepping, and rotating. This makes daily tasks like lifting groceries, climbing stairs, getting up from the floor, or reaching overhead easier and safer.

• Builds joint stability and injury resistance
Body-weight movements train muscles to work together rather than in isolation. This improves joint control at the hips, knees, shoulders, and spine, helping reduce injury risk and protecting against overuse or poor movement patterns.

• Strengthens your core naturally
Most functional exercises require your core to engage without thinking about it. This improves spinal support, balance, and posture while reducing unnecessary stress on your back.

• Enhances balance, coordination, and control
These exercises challenge balance and proprioception, which are essential for preventing falls and maintaining confidence with movement—especially as we age.

• Promotes consistency and sustainability
Because they require little to no equipment and can be done anywhere, body-weight workouts are easier to stick with long term. Consistency is key for lasting strength and health.

• Supports recovery and overall health
Training 2–3 times per week allows enough stimulus for strength gains while still giving your body time to recover, adapt, and stay mobile.

Bottom line:
Functional, body-weight training helps you move better, feel stronger, and stay active in daily life—without needing a gym or heavy equipment. It’s one of the most effective and sustainable ways to support long-term health and movement quality.

01/13/2026

DID YOU KNOW - TENNIS AND GERIATRICS

❤️ Cardiovascular & Physical Fitness
• Tennis combines aerobic and anaerobic activity—intervals of movement, short sprints, and recovery—which helps regulate blood pressure, improve heart function, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Older tennis players tend to have better aerobic capacity and healthier body composition (e.g., lower obesity rates) than same-age non-players.
• The sport supports muscle strength, flexibility, agility, balance, and coordination, which are key for maintaining mobility and reducing fall risk as people age.

🧠 Brain & Cognitive Benefits
• Tennis demands rapid decision-making, strategic planning, and attention shifts, all of which stimulate cognitive function and may help maintain mental sharpness with age.
• Research across racquet sports in older adults shows associations with improved mental health, emotional wellbeing, and self-reported physical health, compared with those who don’t play racket sports.

📌 Why This Matters for Older Adults
• Falls, chronic disease, and cognitive decline are major concerns with aging. Tennis helps address all three by supporting balance, cardiovascular health, strength, and brain engagement.
• Because it can be played at many intensity levels—from casual doubles to more competitive play—it’s accessible and sustainable long-term, which is key for lasting health benefits.

01/12/2026

Happy Monday!
We’re kicking off week two of releasing two at-home workouts each week, and I love seeing you all stay consistent—both with the workouts and with getting your daily steps in 👏

Keep showing up for yourselves, even on the days motivation is low. Consistency is what creates real progress.

As always, please let me know if there’s anything I can help with, whether you need more motivation, exercise guidance, or additional information. I’m here to support you! 💪✨

✅. 3 rounds
-12 elevated single leg bridge
-12 staggered stance RDL’s
-20 calf raises (slow and controlled)
-12 step ups w/ knee drive

01/07/2026

Why is it important to engage your core? And how to engage your core?

1️⃣. Why this is important:
Your transverse abdominis is your body’s deep core stabilizer. It acts like a natural corset around your spine and pelvis. When it’s engaged:
• It helps protect your low back
• Improves posture and balance
• Supports the pelvic floor
• Makes movements like lifting, walking, and exercising safer and more efficient
• Helps reduce unnecessary strain on the spine and hips

2️⃣. We use this muscle during everyday activities—getting out of a chair, lifting groceries, or reaching overhead. Learning how to gently engage it gives your body a stable foundation so your arms and legs can move more easily and with less pain.

3️⃣. How to engage your transverse abdominis (TA):
Think of gently tightening the muscles you would use to stop gas or stop the flow of urine—that’s a Kegel. Now, while you gently hold that, imagine zipping up a snug pair of pants from your p***c bone toward your belly button. Your lower abdomen should gently flatten or draw inward, not brace hard or push out.
You should still be able to breathe normally and talk while holding it. There shouldn’t be any tightening in your glutes or holding your breath.

4️⃣. 3 rounds
-20 resisted dead bugs
-20 resisted mountain climbers
-20 side plank rotations
-20 half kneeling chops w/ or w/o weight

01/05/2026

Today’s at-home workout — January 5th 💪
Starting today, every Monday and Wednesday I’ll be posting an at-home workout you can follow along with. These sessions will focus on a mix of lower-body, upper-body, and core exercises to help build strength and keep your body moving well.

On the other days of the week, the goal is consistent movement. That can look like walking, running, hiking, biking—anything that gets you moving and aiming for 8,000–10,000 steps per day.

If you’re already staying consistent with movement, that’s awesome 🙌 We’ll also be sharing and reposting helpful content in our stories about nutrition and where to find more information to support your fitness and health goals.

3 rounds
-15 thrusters
-10 V-ups or alternating
-30 sec side plank
-10 KB swings

* all of these workouts can be done at home, using a soup can, a jug of milk, dumbbells, kettle bells whatever way you have. When we go to step ups or need of a box shown in the videos, you can use a step a stepstool a stare, whatever you have. If you have access to a gym, great go to the gym and do this workout.

Address

150 126th Street
Orofino, ID
83544

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 7:30am - 2:30pm

Telephone

+12084767105

Website

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