What are wellness services?

Wellness is a broad term and used in a variety of ways, from healthcare to the workplace and everywhere in between. For instance, primary care annual appointments typically include wellness services, such as health screenings, risk assessments, and routine blood work. In the workplace, employers may offer wellness programs, promoting stress reduction, fitness memberships, nutritional education, or healthy living. Other health professionals also offer wellness services aside from those found within medical practices or employing organizations. Regardless of the setting, these services have commonality in promoting overall health, well-being and are generally designed to be proactive and/or preventative in nature.

Physical therapist led wellness

Physical therapists can provide wellness services that typically incorporate generalized exercise training and are designed to maintain gains, one’s level of function, or promote health benefits. While physical therapy services are designed to be restorative in nature, wellness services are proactive. So it makes sense that wellness services often follow therapy although they can also be stand alone services for those looking for personalized health and well-being programs led by a professional. One reason many don’t know about them is that wellness services are typically not covered by most insurances*. When appropriate, I want people utilize their benefits. I mean that’s why we have insurance, right? However, insurance covered services don’t paint the full picture. So after you’ve been discharged or when there hasn’t been a major change or event that warrants therapy services, then what do you do? More often than not, the answer is nothing. Despite the need for regular physical activity to maintain one’s health, these services are typically out of pocket costs. The statistics are staggering- older adults are the most sedentary group and arguably need regular physical activity the most to maintain brain and body health. We know there are great community and group based wellness programs although many benefit from a more individualized approach as well.

Top 5 benefits of a physical therapist led wellness program

1. 1. Help to establish and maintain a personalized exercise routine, working toward leading health organization activity guidelines

2. 2. Custom exercise training, goal setting, and tracking progress to help you stay on track and meet your personal activity goals

3. 3. Ongoing support, motivation, and accountability to help you stay active and provide you with any strategies and recommendations you need along the way 

4. 4. Increased likelihood of maintaining mobility and independence through regular physical activity and exercise

5. 5. Proactively identify resources to promote holistic well-being, including referrals to additional health and wellness providers if/when needed

An investment for your health today, tomorrow, and the future

Working with a doctor of physical therapy provides you with the expertise to optimize health and well-being benefits, ensure regular physical activity incorporating your specific considerations, and the ability to refer to additional health and wellness resources in a timely manner. These services are proactive, providing you with what you need, when you need it opposed to waiting for an adverse event or decline to occur. 

Most importantly, wellness services are an investment in your health and future. Investing in regular physical activity has immediate and long term health benefits. This can help set you up for success to maintain your independence, mobility, and health. Inactivity and sedentary behaviors can result in worse health outcomes which have financial considerations as well- health care bills, caregiver costs, short or long term care needs- many of which are out of pocket costs. Investing in wellness services today can help lessen the potential financial burden that accompanies poor health and related events.

Wellness is not one size fits all

We know that being active is about more than the knowledge of activity benefits. It’s about building healthy habits and finding a personalized exercise and physical activity program that promotes health through movement. Utilizing an individualized approach and taking personalized health and activity preferences into considerations helps promote success and empowers an active, healthy lifestyle. The ‘what’ of exercise is well-established but the ‘how’ is not. Wellness services help to bridge the gap and keep you active in what matters most.

*(Some long term care insurance policies will cover therapist led wellness programs so it always pays to verify your insurance benefits)