Chair exercises?

[onetruebeliever]

Do any of you have any ideas for exercises that can be done sitting in a chair? My Mom has dementia and has absolutely no muscle left from years of doing nothing but reading. She has literally read her life away. We do leg strengthening that a physical therapist had her do and I have her stretching her neck and arms. If it is too strenuous she will not do them. Her right side is weak and she is oversensitive to any pain. Makes me crazy.

[norseman]

There is a beaut of an exercise just using a chair. To need a dining-type chair with an upright back. The exercise is simple. Sit down with legs straight, then just stand up [without the use of the arms], then sit down [no arms again] then stand ,etc. Works mostly on the abdominals and legs obviously It is progressive, building up the number of repeats as you gain strength.
After heart surgery 12 years ago, I went to exercise rehab and this was part of the programme. Try it yourself !

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/...l.asp?video=38

[onetruebeliever]

Originally Posted by norseman

There is a beaut of an exercise just using a chair. To need a dining-type chair with an upright back. The exercise is simple. Sit down with legs straight, then just stand up [without the use of the arms], then sit down [no arms again] then stand ,etc. Works mostly on the abdominals and legs obviously It is progressive, building up the number of repeats as you gain strength.
After heart surgery 12 years ago, I went to exercise rehab and this was part of the programme. Try it yourself !

Thanks. We do this at the kitchen counter. It was one that the therapist did with Mom. I'll try the chair - it will be better - more stretching! She'll be even angrier at me then!

[onetruebeliever]

Originally Posted by amy green

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/...l.asp?video=38

Thanks Amy! I would have to drastically revamp to fit her! Her muscles are just screaming - literally - to be used. That is her pain. From chronic non-use. Those are some good exercises. Right now, Mom can hardly lift her arms even with her shoulders. Well, she can, but because "it hurts", she won't. I've never seen anything like it. The day she fell, after she dragged herself to her room, she laid on the floor for 2 hours until I got there. Because she didn't want to feel any pain. A person has to feel some pain sometime! I got her almost to her knees to pull herself up to the bed and up, but because "it hurt" she plopped back down onto her back and wouldn't do anything to help herself. She has been doing better this week because of the exercises.. UGH!!

She may be more suited to these more simple chair exercises that a physiotherapist gave to my elderly mum.
(Sorry, only just thought of it!)

- Sitting in a chair, with feet on floor, lift up your heel then lower them.
Then, keeping heels on floor, lift up your toes off the floor. (Repeat 10 times...you may lose the will to live!)

- Sitting - lift one leg up as high as possible with knee kept bent. Return to starting position.
Repeat with other leg as if marching on sport (Repeat 10 times )

- Sitting - lift one arm as high up as you can (above head), letting the thumb lead the way then lower to starting position. Repeat with other arm. (Guess what? Yes, repeat 10 times each arm!)

[onetruebeliever]

Originally Posted by amy green

She may be more suited to these more simple chair exercises that a physiotherapist gave to my elderly mum.
(Sorry, only just thought of it!)

- Sitting in a chair, with feet on floor, lift up your heel then lower them.
Then, keeping heels on floor, lift up your toes off the floor. (Repeat 10 times...you may lose the will to live!)

- Sitting - lift one leg up as high as possible with knee kept bent. Return to starting position.
Repeat with other leg as if marching on sport (Repeat 10 times )

- Sitting - lift one arm as high up as you can (above head), letting the thumb lead the way then lower to starting position. Repeat with other arm. (Guess what? Yes, repeat 10 times each arm!)

Haha! We must of had the same therapist! We do a version of these, plus a few others, some with a stretch band, some without. She hates them with a passion, but she has so much less pain and her blood clots do not reform when she keeps them up. I cannot(or her docs)make her understand that movement will help! But Mom has been like this, but not so bad, since I can remember. She is the "poster child" for the person who relies on meds to fix everything. I will ask her doc if he has different exercises, too. Thank you so much!!

[onetruebeliever]

Originally Posted by norseman

There is a beaut of an exercise just using a chair. To need a dining-type chair with an upright back. The exercise is simple. Sit down with legs straight, then just stand up [without the use of the arms], then sit down [no arms again] then stand ,etc. Works mostly on the abdominals and legs obviously It is progressive, building up the number of repeats as you gain strength.
After heart surgery 12 years ago, I went to exercise rehab and this was part of the programme. Try it yourself !

Thanks norseman for this. It is more strenuous than doing it at the counter. I got my Mom to do it, but she needs the arms right now. She could only do 3 the day we started, yesterday she did 10. It has finally sunk in that movement is beneficial to her! Now, we'll see how cooperative she is when I cut her pain med to one a day( I'm not telling her). I don't think she'll notice any difference.

[norseman]

Glad it helped, OTB

There's a bunch of exercises for people with neck issues (they are good for everyone) that are done in slow manner, but serve to strengthen the body, and usually in a sitting position. I'm unsure of the name, however, if you consult someone who's an expert, do mention that and they will most certainly know more about it =)