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.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Today's Exercise Session
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Time Session Began: 1830 Duration of Session: 45 min |
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| Exercise | Reps | Sets | Comments |
| ISL | 10 | 1 | Performed sitting. Worked each arm separately so that she was able to concentrate on tensing her muscles to keep her form. |
| KI | 10 | 1 | Worked on keeping her legs properly aligned. She tends to relax everything so that her legs raise and lower diagonally. |
| LU | 10 | 1 | Performed sitting. Each arm done separately with close coaching in order to see to it that she kept her mind on what she was doing and tensed her muscles appropriately in order to maintain proper form. |
| KNI | 10 | 1 | Worked on leg alignment. |
| FO1 | 10 | 1 | Performed sitting. Worked each arm separately to induce proper tensing and form. |
| SDS | 10 | 1 | Good. |
| FO2 | 10 | 1 | Performed sitting. Worked each arm separately to address form and tensing. |
| TDS | 10 | 1 | Worked on leg alignment. |
| BG | 6 | 1 | "Since you're getting so good at this one, we're going to do six today." |
| MIP | 10 | 1 | She seemed a little iffy by this time; her body was getting feeling what it's like to actually work. I made her do "the whole thing", though. |
| F2S | 10 | 1 | She always does this one well, and did it well today. |
| SSS | 10 | 1 | No complaints. Very nicely done. |
| AC | 5 | 1 | I think, tomorrow, we'll work each arm separately so she begins to understand that movement, with this one, generates from the shoulders and the straighter one keeps one's arms and back, the easier and more effective the exercise is. |
| FC | 10 | 1 | Whoa! She remembered what we talked about yesterday about tension and form and did this one correctly! "Very, very good, Mom!" We performed this one sitting, even though we usually do it standing. She was tiring. |
| SDST | 10 | 1 | No complaints. |
| IACR | Not doing yet. | ||
| TDST | Not doing yet. | ||
| IACL | Not doing yet. | ||
| STS | Not doing yet. | ||
| SSST | Not doing yet. | ||
| BD | 10 | 1 | Getting better. Hold arm higher and straighter. |
| NSGP | Not doing yet. | ||
| SUSD | 5 | 1 | I announced that I was going to have her do four, but we got a fifth one in to practice technique. |
My demeanor was a bit gentler but the work-out was harder. After last night's session I realized that we need to perform each weight bearing exercise separately on each side while I closely coach her and verbally work on her to make sure she keeps her muscles tensed. I discovered that she simply hasn't been doing this. Again, we talked about the purpose of the weights. She thought the nursing home introduced them as "fun", "for decoration". I corrected this. I also gave her several mini lectures about physiology and how holding one's arms, legs and body wrong can not only undermine the benefit of the exercise but harm the body. I also went after her attitude and cautioned her that her mind must be present while she's working out. I told her she is perfectly capable of not becoming distratcted. I badgered her when I noticed her attention wandering. She understood. She worked really, really hard. During the session she drank water several times, which she's never done. At the end of the session she was sweating (she's never sweated after a session; previously, I've been the only one sweating) and breathing a little hard. I congratulated her for this. Later in the evening I teased her by pointing out that she was beginning to develop, "little bitty baby muscles." She laughed. Good. Maybe, this time, we're on our way.
