Exercise Help for my Mom...

[gator8me]

Not sure if this is where I should post this but since most here are more advanced exercise wise and Lynn is a soon to be PT, I'm gunna give it a go here.

My mom has suffered several minor and a couple major strokes. She still gets around (barely) and takes care of herself somewhat. Over the years she has had physical therapy and been given exercises to do to strengthen or just help keep her mobile as long as possible. Her left side is more affected but both sides are bad. She loses her balance easily. She uses a scooter when we go places which has been a godsend and then uses a walker sometimes at home. Since I've been here I've been making her NOT use her scooter in the house at all which is what she had been doing.

She has lost her exercises that the physical therapist had given her a few years back. Any suggestions of some exercises that would be done from a chair or while holding on to her walker? I am trying to encourage her to do exercises that would help her particular situation rather than what she had been trying to do which is going to end up with her hurting herself. She's been trying to do what everyone else does like walking tapes ect... It's just not working at all and I'm worried she will end up hurting herself. So any suggestions on mobility strengthening type exercises would be great.

Thanks ~ Ally:)

[Gaelen]

Ally, I will look it up when I get home, but there are a whole section of pilates type exercises, as well as strengthening exercises, that can be done from a chair. In fact, there's even a program on FitTV called 'Sit and Be Fit.'

I've also had a left side stroke...intracerebral hemorrhage in the summer of 2000...and my balance is/was definitely affected. What they suggested for me in physical therapy were exercises that looked a lot like pilates, so I brought in my pilates chart from home, and the PT was just thrilled. He ended up designing a program for me that used my pilates performer and gradually worked on rebuilding my strength, first sitting, then from the floor, and ultimately from the machine. I'm sure I still have the stuff, but let me get home to get it, okay?

Gaelen

[gator8me]

OHHHH Thanks so much Gaelen you are WONDERFUL!

Yes, everything my mom will do exercise wise will have to be done from a chair. Its hard to describe her limitations and disabilities, you almost have to watch her to understand what I am talking about. :) I just want to keep her as independant as possilbe for as long as possible. She is such a strong spirit!
Thanks ~ ally:)

[hawk]

My father had a stroke 5 years ago. Each day he walks back and forth around the house for 15 -20 minutes 3 times a day. As soon as it is nice out he walks the deck along the back of the house. We bought him some excersize bands to strengthen his usable arm. He sits and works out with them. We also gave him a squeeze ball to strenthen his hand. His right arm will not respond and he lost his ability to speak. The pilates would be too much for him but may be very good for your mom. My father is totally paralyzed on his right side. He has a brace on his right ankle and it is very hard for him to walk but he is determined and it is awesome to see.
Gaelen, I did not know you had a stroke. For you to overcome that is awesome.I am very impressed.

[gator8me]

Thanks for the input Lynn... I know that just the walking around the house etc would greatly help her. My mom is just determined to do what everyone else does. This usually happens when I visit here or they come down to our house. She gets the bent to do whatever things I'm doing and it just isn't working for her. She needs to work starting where shes at now and work up to different levels as she progresses. However far that may be. Easy for me to say since I'm not the one diabled, I know. I just hate to see her struggle and get discouraged so I would like to help her find something she can do and start to see improvments of some kind so she can feel like she is not just spinning her wheels. :)
Ally

[banshee]

My father is totally paralyzed on his right side. He has a brace on his right ankle and it is very hard for him to walk but he is determined and it is awesome to see.
Hmmm... I think we can see where you got your determination from, Lynn! :D

[Gabriel Guzman]

Ally, if it is of any help, the American Heart Association published an article in 2004 entitled Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Stroke Survivors (http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/109/16/2031#TBL1).

There is a Table (http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/109/16/2031/TBL1) describing some of the recommended exercises with their corresponding description and goals.

I have the article in pdf format if you can't download it from the AHA site. Just let me know!:)

[gator8me]

:) Thanks Gabe! It does open for me :D ! Lots of info and reading material. heheh

Thanks agian ~ ally

[Gaelen]

Ally...sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Travelling yesterday really pushed me to the limit (especially since my current endurance limit is pretty low...)

Here is the 'Sit and Be Fit' website: http://www.sitandbefit.com/
Apparently, you can even get videos from them, and/or borrow their videos from the library (I'd check eBay, too.)

These are the pilates exercises that my PT circled for me when I was doing PT after the stroke. He recommended I get an exercise ball, with a stabilizer (a ring that the ball sits on so that it doesn't get away from you.) Then, on the floor, on the ball and in a chair, this is what he recommended:

--a modified version of the 100, raising my legs and extending my arms forward for the 'beating' motion, while sitting in the chair and/or on the ball. He had me start with 10 beats, rest for a count of 10 and then do 10 more, eventually building up to the full 100. When I could do it sitting down, he had me start over again on the floor at 10 beats, rest for 10 and repeat.

--on the floor, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, lift my butt while contracting my abs, count to five, and relax. He gradually had me extend the count to 25 (five counts at a time) and repeat in sets of three. At first I could only lift my butt about a half inch, but eventually I got to about 6 inches off the floor.

--in the chair and on the floor when I could manage, arm raises, and arm stretches using first nothing, and ultimately an exercise band. He had me bring my arms from down at my sides to shoulder height (90 degree angle, arms parallel to the floor), and eventually do the raise to arms straight up in the air. Just two to three at first, up to ten, two reps each.

--in the chair, alternate leg raises...at first without any resistance, but ultimately using the same resistance band to challenge my legs and knees a bit.

I hope this helps to get you and your mom started; there's more where they came from.

Gaelen

[gator8me]

Ally...sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Travelling yesterday really pushed me to the limit (especially since my current endurance limit is pretty low...)

Gaelen, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this. You are such a sweetheart, in the midst of everything you are going through right now to come to my rescue.:) The link works and I see a couple of videos that I think will be right on the mark for my mom. Also thanks for taking the time to explain some other exercises, she will need to work her way up to some of those. :D
Hugs ~ Ally
PS ~ I'm soooooooooo glad to see you feeling better, I hope you continue on the road to recovery and that you will soon be 100%:cool: :cool: