Home physiotherapy app: rehab exercises between physio sessions

Why home exercise is the hard part

A physio appointment might be 30 to 45 minutes every week or two. The rest of the progress comes from what you do at home, often a handful of exercises once or twice a day. That's where most people slip: the sheet of paper gets lost, the reps get rushed, or a busy week turns into a missed month.

An app can't diagnose you or adjust your plan the way a clinician can. What it can do is make the home part easier: tell you what's next, keep the pace steady, time your holds, remind you, and keep a record you can show at your next appointment.

What to look for in a home physio app

• Clear explanations of each exercise, ideally spoken so you're not staring at a screen mid-stretch.
• Steady pacing and timed holds, so reps aren't rushed.
• A way to log pain and stop when it's too high.
• Programs matched to common problems, not a random exercise list.
• Honest wording: it should say it's not medical advice.
• Privacy: you shouldn't need to upload video of yourself.

How Apex One's rehab programs work

Apex One includes 23 voice-led rehab programs for common problems, plus 5 home-care routines. A calm voice explains each exercise, counts at a steady pace and times holds. You check in with a pain score, and a high score ends the session. Rehab programs never use the camera: the camera only counts the 10 workout moves.

Before you start a program, you tick a box confirming your own physio or doctor has okayed exercise for you. That keeps the decision with the people who know your case.

The rehab programs

• Shoulder: rotator cuff and impingement; Shoulder: stiff or frozen.
• Neck: stiffness and tech neck; Upper back and posture; Posture for desk workers.
• Lower back (non-specific); Sciatica-friendly back mobility; SI joint and glute support.
• Hip: outer hip pain and glute tendinopathy; Hip stiffness and mobility.
• Knee: runner's knee (pain around the kneecap); Knee: general strength; Knee: jumper's knee (patellar tendon).
• Ankle sprain; Achilles tendon pain; Shin splints; Heel pain and plantar fasciitis; Hamstring strain.
• Tennis elbow (outer elbow pain); Golfer's elbow (inner elbow pain); Wrist and hand stiffness (carpal tunnel friendly).
• Balance and steadiness for older adults; General mobility routine.

Home-care routines

• Heat or ice: a safe timed pack.
• Self-massage and foam rolling.
• Gentle full-body stretch.
• Breathing and relaxation.
• Pain tracking: a daily check-in.

What Apex One doesn't cover

There are no programs for after surgery, including knee or hip replacement, ACL reconstruction or rotator cuff repair. There's nothing for fractures, neurological conditions or pregnancy-related pain. For any of those, follow your clinical team's plan.

If your physio gave you specific exercises that aren't in a program, keep doing theirs. An app is a helper, not the plan.

A typical session in Apex One

You open a program, say Knee: runner's knee (pain around the kneecap). The voice introduces the first exercise and how to set up, then counts each rep at a steady pace or times the hold. Between exercises there's a short rest. At the start you check in with a pain score; if it's above 5, the session ends and suggests checking in with your clinician.

Sessions are usually 10 to 20 minutes. Because everything is spoken, you can keep your eyes on your body rather than on the screen.

App vs paper exercise sheets

• Paper is free and your physio's sheet is tailored to you. It can't pace you or remind you.
• An app paces reps, times holds and keeps a record. Its programs are general, not tailored to your case.
• Many people use both: their physio's sheet as the plan, the app to keep the habit going.

Building the habit

The best home program is the one you actually do. Tie it to something you already do every day, like after your morning coffee or before dinner. Keep the phone and any props, such as a towel, band or step, in the same spot so there's no setup.

Start with the minimum your physio asked for. If they said once a day, don't jump to three times. Consistency for two weeks beats a big first week and then nothing. Apex One keeps a history of your sessions, which makes it easier to see the streak and to show your physio what you've done.

When to go back to your physio sooner

• Pain is getting worse week on week despite doing the exercises.
• New symptoms appear, like numbness, tingling or weakness.
• Swelling, locking or giving way in a joint.
• You've plateaued for several weeks and aren't sure what's next.

Getting the most out of it

• Pick one program that matches what your physio is treating, not three.
• Do it at the same time each day so it becomes a habit.
• Use the pain check-in honestly; it's there to protect you.
• Bring notes to appointments: what felt easier, what flared up.
• When it starts to feel easy, ask your physio about the next step, including the strength workouts.

Count every rep with your phone

Questions

Keep exploring

• Rehab exercisesApex One
• Knee rehab exercises at homeGuide
• Shoulder rehab exercises at homeGuide
• Lower back exercises at homeGuide
• Apex One vs printed rehab exercise sheetsApex One