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.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Today's Exercise Session
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Time Session Began: 2018 Duration of Session: 47 min |
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| Exercise | Reps | Sets | Comments |
| ISL | 10 | 1 | Performed sitting. |
| KI | 10 | 1 | |
| LU | 10 | 1 | Performed sitting. |
| KNI | 10 | 1 | |
| FO1 | 10 | 1 | Performed sitting. |
| SDS | 10 | 1 | |
| FO2 | 12 | 1 | Performed sitting. The extra two were done separately with each arm to correct form. |
| TDS | 12 | 1 | Again, correcting form, specifically how she holds her legs. |
| BG | 5 | 1 | |
| MIP | 10 | 1 | Performed standing supporting herself between the backs of two chairs. Left leg better than right. She's shifting her weight well, though. |
| F2S | 10 | 1 | Performed sitting. |
| SSS | 10 | 1 | Worked on getting her to relax calf and use only the thigh muscle, as well as keeping leg aligned from hip through foot. Only partially successful. |
| AC | 5 | 1 | She's actually doing better with this exercise. |
| FC | 10 | 1 | Performed standing. Today we worked on keeping her arm tensed throughout the exercise and not breaking her wrist. It was a struggle, but she's getting it. |
| SDST | 10 | 1 | Good. Shifting weight well. |
| IACR | Not doing yet. | ||
| TDST | Not doing yet. | ||
| IACL | Not doing yet. | ||
| STS | Not doing yet. | ||
| SSST | Not doing yet. | ||
| BD | 10 | 1 | She was "feeling the burn", getting tired and sweating, so I decided to sit her down for this one. Her form was good, though. |
| NSGP | Not doing yet. | ||
| SUSD | 5 | 1 | Speeded her up a bit on this one, which makes it easier for her. She's beginning to understand how her current standing and sitting technique undermines the development of strength in her legs and compromises her back. |
I don't know what got into me, other than frustration. I decided, this is it. I'm going to harass her into moving more and moving competently as much as she is able. I went after her like an unfriendly drill sergeant. As well, I finally figured out that she just isn't getting that the use of weights is not for decoration; when weights are used it's important to tense the muscles that are being affected in order to get the maximum strengthening benefits from the weights. I worked her hard, gave her no slack and no compliments on any of the exercises.
At the end of the session I said, "Okay, woman. From now on we do exercises everyday. You need to work on your attitude. If you don't want to do exercises, you need to approach the session with a fake attitude. When I mention that it's time for a session, I want you to sit up in your chair, body and mind alert, as though this is what you've been looking forward to all day. I'm not going to let you make a choice between slowly dying of inactivity or the possibility of dying in the middle of an exercise session. I'm making the choice for you, now. You're going to die with those weights in your hands and your muscles working. I'm tired of leaving you at home, tired of all the work it takes to monitor you during the few times that you either deign to go out or I have to take you out. It stops here."
I know, we've all heard it before. And, I'll bet, at some point, I'll feel sorry for her and slack off, again. I hope not. But, we're back in the saddle and I'm hoping I'll have enough stamina to keep her in the saddle until death takes her off. I mean, at her age, it just seems to me that, one way or another, in bed or upright, it isn't going to make that much difference in how long she lives. The difference will be "made" in how much time we spend together and how much her demeanor perks up as I am able to get her out more without having to worry about whether she's strong enough. Of course, I'll make allowances for when she's obviously physically ill and not "up to it". But, no more allowances for the circular catch-22 syndrome of lethargy. So there. "Too," as my mother would add.
