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, July 22, 2005
Today's Exercise Session:
|
Time Session Began: 1905 Duration of Session: 45 min |
|||
| 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 | 10 | 1 | performed sitting |
| TDS | 10 | 1 | |
| BG | 5 | 1 | performed standing, as it's supposed to be done |
| MIP | 10 | 1 | again, performed standing |
| F2S | 10 | 1 | performed sitting |
| SSS | 6 | 1 | still having a little trouble with this one |
| AC | 4 | 1 | good for first time in a long time |
| FC | 10 | 1 | she's getting the hang of this one; performed standing |
| SDST | 10 | 1 | I reminded her to flex her knee and she had no problem, today |
| IACR | not done yet | ||
| TDST | not done yet | ||
| IACL | not done yet | ||
| STS | not done yet | ||
| SSST | not done yet | ||
| BD | 10 | 1 | she always seems to improve quickly on this exercise |
| NSGP | not done | ||
| SUSD | 4 | 1 | she's taking it slow and doing it better |
When I told her it was exercise time she said, "But, we did those yesterday!" We did them anyway.
About 15 minutes afterwards, while she was sitting in her rocking chair and looking rosy cheeked, I asked her how she felt.
She looked at me as though she couldn't figure out why I was asking. "Well, fine, of course."
I grinned back at her.
She remembered the exercise session and aimed a game, mock smirk at me.
Yes, we'll be doing them again tomorrow. And walkering. In fact, I've got two ideas on how to help her learn how to use the walker correctly so she doesn't hurt her back. We'll see how it goes. She definitely seems to be perking up, though. A few more days and we'll probably be signing up for The Partner's Decathalon.
Today's Walkering Session:
I got her up and walkering around the house at 1305 today. She wasn't happy about it but didn't resist. We did the lap from kitchen table, down the hall to the back arcadia door, back up the hall to the living room, negotiating the two steps into the living room, over to the two steps leading into the dinette back to the kitchen table. Twice. I had planned on us doing it a third time but she complained about her back and knee hurting. I let her have those, but talked, a lot, about how her back is bound to hurt if she doesn't stand as straight as possible, shoulders back, head up spotting down her intended path, close to the walker, moving it with the movement of her legs, not pushing it with her arms.
We'll keep at it. She remains unhappy about it, though. She wanted to know why it was necessary.
I told her, because I deem it necessary. I refuse to allow her to remain lethargic and unmoving when there is no medical reason for this. Besides, I told her, if we practice at home, it'll be easier for her when she goes out in public.
"What if I don't plan on doing that?"
"Well, you have to in order to go to the doctor, in order to visit friends.
"I suppose that's true." She doesn't want to move.
"Do you want to get to the place where I've got to hire a nurse to pick you up out of bed in the morning, move you to a bed in the living room, and do the reverse at night?"
"It won't come to that," she said, sneering.
"Mom, six years ago you didn't think your life would come to hardly ever moving and getting out."
She doesn't remember this, I'm sure, but she says, "I know."
"Well, Mom, this time, I'm making the choice to do everything I can to get you moving a little bit more, because it's healthy for you. All you have to do is wait for me to become frustrated and quit."
She looked at me in shocked surprise. She didn't say anything.
I don't know. We'll see.
We'll keep at it. She remains unhappy about it, though. She wanted to know why it was necessary.
I told her, because I deem it necessary. I refuse to allow her to remain lethargic and unmoving when there is no medical reason for this. Besides, I told her, if we practice at home, it'll be easier for her when she goes out in public.
"What if I don't plan on doing that?"
"Well, you have to in order to go to the doctor, in order to visit friends.
"I suppose that's true." She doesn't want to move.
"Do you want to get to the place where I've got to hire a nurse to pick you up out of bed in the morning, move you to a bed in the living room, and do the reverse at night?"
"It won't come to that," she said, sneering.
"Mom, six years ago you didn't think your life would come to hardly ever moving and getting out."
She doesn't remember this, I'm sure, but she says, "I know."
"Well, Mom, this time, I'm making the choice to do everything I can to get you moving a little bit more, because it's healthy for you. All you have to do is wait for me to become frustrated and quit."
She looked at me in shocked surprise. She didn't say anything.
I don't know. We'll see.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Today's Exercise Session:
|
Time Session Began: 1905 Duration of Session: 40 min |
|||
| 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 | 10 | 1 | performed sitting |
| TDS | 10 | 1 | |
| BG | 5 | 1 | |
| MIP | 8 | 1 | |
| F2S | 10 | 1 | performed sitting |
| SSS | 10 | 1 | Still not getting that the important aspect is moving from the thigh and swiveling from the hip joint. Probably would work better standing. |
| AC | not yet | ||
| FC | 10 | 1 | Performed standing, that's right folks! |
| SDST | 5 | 1 | Did this one standing, too, although she didn't get that she needed to flex her knee when bringing her foot up on toe and pulled, just a little bit, the back of her right knee. An hour after we did this, though, her knee was fine and she'd forgotten that she pulled it. |
| IACR | not yet | ||
| TDST | not yet | ||
| IACL | not yet | ||
| STS | not yet | ||
| SSST | Not yet, but we may try this one tomorrow, as I think her body would understand the exercise standing better than sitting. | ||
| BD | 8 | 1 | Pretty inflexible, but experience tells me that she regains her arm flexibility quickly. |
| NSGP | not yet | ||
| SUSD | 3 | 1 | She did better on this one than she was doing in June, much to my surprise. |
That's right, we started therapy exercises again, despite her voiced desire a couple of days ago that she just didn't want to do much, anymore. I don't know why I decided, today, that I couldn't accept this and was going to give it the old college try once again.
But, I did. And, I approached the session differently than before. Previously, although stern, I was also full of compliments and coaxing behavior. Today I was all drill sergeant:
- "Sit at attention in your chair!"
- "Look alive! That's not alive posture!"
- "No slumping! Not even between exercises! The hump on your back is no excuse for not pulling your rib cage out of your hips and throwing your shoulders back as far as you can!"
- "Legs at attention! You won't get the benefit of the exercise with your legs sprawled all over the place like that!"
- "Keep all your muscles throughout your entire body firm and at attention throughout the session! No relaxing!" "Keep your arms tense! No slacking!"
- "Grip those weights! If you grip them your wrists won't break!"
- "If you don't do the exercise right, you'll not only not get the benefit, you'll probably injure yourself! And, you know what? I'd rather see you injure yourself from moving than injure yourself from sitting!"
- "Lower, don't drop! Use those muscles like pulleys! Take control of the weights, don't let the weights control you!"
I didn't compliment her until the end of the session. Then, when I did, I burst into tears, and kissed her. It's hard on me to drive her like this, but it works for her. She takes it seriously. I told her that soon I won't be badgering her unsuccessfully to go on errands with me, she'll be asking to go along. And, I think, if I can keep her going, if I can find the internal strength within me to keep driving her past the point of her present preference for lethargy, that I'll be proven right. We'll see.
Honestly? I don't know how long this will last, but I have (as usual, I guess, I mean, let's be realistic about this) good feelings about it. I was thinking after the session that I want to see her walkering into her 90th birthday, assuming she makes it until then. I think she will. She continues to show amazing recuperative powers.
I hope I make it until then!
