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.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Long Overdue Review:
I haven't reported here in a long time, mainly because our exercise and moving sessions are much, much more informal now. Frankly, I thought that would mean that there would be no change in her overall physical strength but I was wrong. Over the last three months, which have involved three to four sessions a week of our set of informal exercises, what I have come to call our "Chicken Flap" routine, which involves lots of arm and leg movement while sitting and practice standing and sitting, I've noticed improvements that weren't happening during her much more iformal sessions: Although she walks no faster than before, she is noticeably more confident on her feet. This doesn't mean that I don't need to keep an eye on her, nor that she doesn't need to use the walker when out, nor that her balance doesn't sometimes worry me. It's just better than it was around the time of my last post here. As well she is standing from a sitting position with much less effort and her knees and hips aren't bothering her that much anymore. She still has her days, especially if a low is traveling through (which hasn't happened much lately), but overall she is doing better physically than she was back in late September.
I am sure, if she was doing the harder, more formal exercises I used to try to get her to practice she might be further along. The problem we had with those, though, was her attitude. She didn't want to do them, I'd have to fight her to try to get her to participate in a session, thus we didn't do them very much. This informal "Chicken Flap" routine, though, is pratcticed much more often. Occasionally we'll get a session in two days in a row. There isn't any physical or emotional prep that needs to take place. I can spring them on her without a drop in her attitude. She considers them a form of play and even likes them, especially the original "Chicken Flap" exercise. She participates with vigor, feels good both before and after, and she isn't waving weights around, anymore, in ways that could possibly allow her to injure her joints and tendons.
I'm satisfied that we've established a movement routine that is appropriate to my mother at this time in her life. And, best of all, it is not a source of stress for either of us.
I am sure, if she was doing the harder, more formal exercises I used to try to get her to practice she might be further along. The problem we had with those, though, was her attitude. She didn't want to do them, I'd have to fight her to try to get her to participate in a session, thus we didn't do them very much. This informal "Chicken Flap" routine, though, is pratcticed much more often. Occasionally we'll get a session in two days in a row. There isn't any physical or emotional prep that needs to take place. I can spring them on her without a drop in her attitude. She considers them a form of play and even likes them, especially the original "Chicken Flap" exercise. She participates with vigor, feels good both before and after, and she isn't waving weights around, anymore, in ways that could possibly allow her to injure her joints and tendons.
I'm satisfied that we've established a movement routine that is appropriate to my mother at this time in her life. And, best of all, it is not a source of stress for either of us.
