Description of Exercises [For prologue to this section of The Mom & Me Journals dot Net, click here.]
As of 9/04/04:
As of 9/04/04:
- In Side Lift [ISL]: Standing, with weights; Holding arms at sides, weights parallel to floor, lift weights up along sides as high as possible while holding elbows as close to body as possible; lower weights to starting position.
- Kick It [KI]: Sitting, independent alternate leg reps; start with foot flat on floor, kick to touch trainer's hand with toes, return foot flat to floor.
- Lift Up [LU]: Standing, with weights; Holding weights above shoulders, elbows out to sides, weights parallel to floor, extend arms completely above head, return to starting position.
- Knee It [KNI]: Sitting, independent alternate leg reps; start with foot flat on floor, raise knee up to touch trainer's hand, return foot flat to floor.
- Forward Out 1 [FO1]: Standing, with weights; Holding weights to upper chest perpendicular to ground, elbows close to sides, extend arms straight out, return to starting position.
- Separate Demitoe Sitting [SDS]: Sitting, independent alternate leg reps; start with foot flat on floor, raise heel until foot is resting on ball and toes, return to starting position.
- Forward Out 2 [FO2]: Standing, with weights; Holding weights to upper chest parallel to ground, elbows perpendicular to body, extend arms straight out, return to starting position.
- Together Demitoe Sitting [TDS]: Sitting, both feet reps together; start with feet flat on floor, raise heels until feet are resting on balls and toes, return to starting position.
- Forward 2 Side [F2S]: Standing, with weights; Holding weights straight out in front at shoulder height perpendicular to ground, open arms out until they are perpendicular to front of body, return to starting position.
- Side Step Sitting [SSS]: Sitting, independent alternate leg reps; start with foot flat on floor, step smartly to side and back, lifting knee up and down with thigh action.
- Arm Circles [AC]: Sitting, with weights; Holding weights straight out to sides at shoulder height perpendicular to ground, circle arms forward for prescribed reps, then backward.
- Marching In Place [MIP]: Standing, holding on to back of chair with both hands for support; march in place smartly, lifting knees high. On 9/6/04, changed exercise so that she stands between two chair backs facing forward and supports self on either side.
- Forward Curls [FC]: Standing, with weights; Holding weights parallel to ground, arms close to sides, bend arm at elbow and raise weights to shoulders, keeping elbows close to sides.
- Separate Demitoe Standing [SDST]: Standing, holding on to back of chair with both hands for support, independent alternate leg reps; with foot flat on floor lift heel until foot is resting on ball and toes, lower foot flat to floor.
- Independent Arm Circles Right [IACR]: Standing perpendicular to chair back holding onto chair with left hand, without weights; with right arm hanging down at side, circle arm from shoulder and upper arm, forearm hanging loose and elbow slightly bent, around across body and face, up, then out to side and down.
- Together Demitoe Standing [TDST]: Standing, holding on to back of chair with both hands, both feet reps together; start with feet flat on floor, raise heels until feet are resting on balls and toes, return to starting position.
- Independent Arm Circles Left [IACL]: Standing perpendicular to chair back holding onto chair with right hand, without weights; with left arm hanging down at side, circle arm from shoulder and upper arm, forearm hanging loose and elbow slightly bent, around across body and face, up, then out to side and down.
- Side to Side [STS]: Standing, hands on hips, without weights; begin facing forward, twist torso to left, then to right, as far as you can go.
- Side Step Standing [SSST]: Standing, holding on to back of chair with both hands for support, independent alternate leg reps; start with foot flat on floor, step smartly to side and back, lifting knee up and down with thigh action.
- Back Drop [BD]: Standing or sitting, independent alternate arm reps, with weights; Turning arm out so palm faces away from body, grip top of weight between thumb and forefinger, lift a arm straight above head so weight is parallel to ground, keeping upper arm straight, bend elbow and lower weight behind head and neck and lift to starting position.
- Not So Grand Plie [NSGP]: Standing supporting self with arms between two chair backs, toes turned outward, feet about shoulder's length apart, bend just a touch at the knees, keeping back straight and buttocks held in, then rise.
- Standing Up/Sitting Down [SUSD]: That's right, standing up and sitting down, with coaching and support. Not surprisingly, she is currently having difficulty standing up and sitting down, so I decided we should practice this. She scoots to the edge of the chair, readies her muscles, braces herself with her hands on my very steady arms, I coach her to "lean forward from the hips" and she stands up, then sits down, while I coach her to "sit with control, don't plop yourself in the chair."
- Belly Grip [BG]: This is simply tightening the abdominal muscles, holding for a count of five and relaxing for a count of five. Performed standing up. It occurred to me that this might help strengthen her lower back and help her body "remember" how to stand correctly when using her walker so that she stands closer to it and pushes it with the momentum of her legs instead of with her arms.
Monday, September 13, 2004
Today's Exercise Session:
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Time Session Began: 1325 Duration of Session: 50 min |
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| Exercise | Reps | Sets | Comments |
| ISL | 20 | 1 | Good form! |
| KI | 15 + 5 | 2 | Left leg significantly better than right. Didn't slack off, today. |
| LU | 15 | 1 | Still breaks wrists tiny bit at shoulders but, otherwise, elbows out good, form good. |
| KNI | 15 + 5 | 2 | Very good! |
| FO1 | 15 | 1 | Better on form. |
| SDS | 20 | 1 | Second time alternating feet instead of doing each foot separately. She did well. |
| FO2 | 15 | 1 | Better. Breaks only right wrist. Lags only right elbow. Coached her on the importance to the work of gripping the weights, how it engages all the muscles up the arm, but only pulls on them if she dangles the weights. I think she's getting it, though. She didn't break nearly as much as before. |
| TDS | 20 | 1 | Good. |
| F2S | 15 | 1 | Very strong performance! |
| SSS | 15 | 1 | Nothing noteworthy. Unfortunately, this is one where we need a different chair to alternate feet within the one set. Maybe we'll consider getting a different exercise chair (or chairs) for when the house is sold in Mesa. |
| AC | 10 | 1 | Getting better. Elbows straighter longer. |
| MIP | 20 | 1 | Excellent! Will probably do two sets, separated by other exercises, tomorrow. |
| FC | 15 | 1 | Finally started gripping weights. Still performing each arm separately. Did the exercise sitting down, today. |
| SDST | 20 | 1 | Very good. Did alternate feet together. Like a tip-toe march. |
| IACR | 10 | 1 | Much better! Better flexibility. Watches me closely then imitates...beginning to look like an Ancient ballet dancer. |
| TDST | 20 | 1 |
Hard for her. I know it seems to her like it takes forever. She even asked me, today, what it was for, imply, with her tone, that it was for nothing. "It strengthens the calves and feet and increases feet flexibility." "It better had," she said, groaning. She did good. |
| IACL | 10 | 1 | See IACR above. Same applies. |
| STS | 5 | 1 |
She did this exercise, today, very incrementally and hesitantly, but, free hand, she did it. I asked her, after the first twist, if it threw her off balance. "Not yet," she said. And gamely did four more. |
| SSST | 15 | 1 | Finally did this one, and did it all the way through. She still has trouble bringing the knee up on the way back. I think her muscles haven't gotten the thought of the movement, yet. Otherwise, she did it! |
| BD | 15 | 1 | She's holding her elbows higher, her shoulders further back. This one appears to be increasing her flexibility, maybe combined with the IACL&R. |
Mom was very reluctant to have a therapy session, today. She's gotten too used to not moving much. I promised her no walkering if she did a therapy session with me. She did really well. It's as though her body took four days to think about proper form and decided some of it, at least, is a good idea.
As well, it was our shortest session, so far, and included everything, even a few changes. She worked hard and obviously did it for me, as usual, which continues to surprise me. Maybe it's the structure of the session, and the fact that when I decide we're going to have a session, that's when we're going to have one. I'm not sure what's working, but something is.
I still contend, though, that I am the wrong teacher for her walkering, and, as well, she might need a different walker. Since all of her mobilizing equipment has, so far, been gifted to us, we can activate Medicare on a rental basis and graduate to really good equipment as she needs it, or less sophisticated, as she can handle it. She's becoming fascinated with the idea of a cane, for instance. She saw a crumpled but hearty old woman in the parking lot of our drug store, the other day, using one of those canes that has a spider base with four to six claws, saw this woman making time across the parking lot and has been thinking about that ever since. A cane might work better for her.
She will be doing some walkering tomorrow, to a purpose, which is always the most valuable walkering, and we'll get an exercise session in, as well.
I'm still feeling puny but activating Mom seems to help activate me.
