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1. Breathing Exercise (Breathe Three Times; 15 Seconds Each)
2. Facial Exercises :
3. Chin to Shoulder
4. Chicken I
5. Shoulder Rolls (Roll Forward Then Backward)
6. Heel /Toe Rocking
7. Large Arm Circles (Circle Forward Then Backward)
POLE/TOWEL EXERCISES:
8. Trunk Twister (Turning to the Right and Left Count as One Repetition)
9. Over Head and Behind Neck :
10. Up Down/Back Down :
ii. Lean Back !
FLOOR EXERCISES: !
12. Groin Stretch
13. Hamstring Stretch (On your Back) (Stretch TWICE for a minimum of 30 Seconds While BREATHING)
14. Tummy Tucker :
15. Front Thigh Stretch
16. Side Leg Lift !
17. Both Knees to Shoulders ¡
18. Knee and Head Opposite Rolling
19. Thigh and Arm Slide (Lie first on the Right Side then the Left Side)
20. Fanny Lift :
21. Toe Pointer !
22. Rolling Angel !
23. TheSeal ¡
24. Arm Flapping
25. Elbow Propping (Stretch TWICE for a minimum of 30 Seconds : While BREATHING) :
1. BREATHING EXERCISE: Place one hand on your abdomen and the other hand on your chest. To do correct abdominal breathing, your abdomen should expand as you inhale. You may assist your exhalation by pushing your abdomen in as you exhale. The hand on your chest is to help you be aware of how little your chest moves when proper abdominal breathing is done. Inhale for five seconds and exhale for ten seconds. Don’t hold your breath at any point during this exercise. Repeat three times only.
2. FACIAL EXERCISES: Open your mouth wide and shut your eyes tight. When you finish the repetition, your eyes should be open and your mouth should be closed. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
3. CHIN TO SHOULDER: Turn your head and neck to the right and try to touch your chin to the right shoulder. Turn your head and neck to the left and try to touch your chin to the left shoulder. Turning the head and neck is more important than simply trying to touch the chin to the shoulder. Turning your head to the right AND to the left count is ONE REPETITION. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
4. CHICKEN: Move your head forward by moving your chin forward. Now move your chin back by tucking it in toward your neck, the movements should be parallel to the floor. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
5. SHOULDER ROLLS: Stand with your arms at your sides and your hands on the sides of your thighs. Without moving your hands, move both shoulders (not the elbows) ¡n a circular motion forward. Repeat. Then move your shoulders ¡n a circular motion in the reverse direction. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
6. HEEL/TOE ROCKING: While standing raise up on both toes and then back on both heels. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
7. LARGE ARM CIRCLES: While standing move both arms ¡n large circles in the forward direction making sure that your elbows come as close to your ears as possible. Repeat the proper number of repetitions. Complete the large circles in the reverse direction. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
POLE/TOWEL EXERCISES: You will need a small wooden pole or an old broomstick for the followinj exercises. If you don’t have a pole, a towel can be used.
8. TRUNK TWISTER: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Place the pole behind your neck by resting it on your shoulders with your hands holding on to the ends of the pole. Your feet should be a little farther apart than shoulder width. Bend your knees slightly and keep them bent slightly through the entire exercise. Twist from the waist and turn your head in the same direction as you twist from right to left. Do not lean from side to side. Keep your spine vertical as you rotate. Repeat the proper number of repetitions
9. OVER HEAD AND BEHIND NECK: Hold the pole down and in front of your thighs with both hands toward the ends of the pole. KEEP YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT (but not stiff) as you raise the pole over your head. Bend your arms and rest the pole behind your neck. Straighten your arms again and raise the pole over your head and return to the starting position. Repeat the proper number of repetitions
10. UP DOWN/BACK DOWN: Hold the pole at each end behind your thighs with your palms facing forward. 1) Bend your elbows and slide the pole up your back, 2) Slide the pole down your back, 3) Raise the pole backward and away from your back and legs as high as you can, 5) Then return to the starting position. Steps 1 —4 count as ONE REPETITION. Be sure to relax your shoulders each time the pole goes down. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
11. LEAN BACK: Stand with the pole behind your hips. Secure the pole by placing the pole behind your back in the bend of your with your hands on your hips. Push down on your hips to decrease the pressure on your low back. Keep your knees straight as you lean backward from the waist. It helps a great deal to tilt your head back as you lean back. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
FLOOR EXERCISES
+ NOTE: ALL PROLONGED STRETCHES SHOULD BE DONE WHILE YOU ARE BREATHING. DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH!!!! MOVE INTO MORE OF A STRETCH ONCE THE INITIAL STRETCH SENSATION LESSENS
12. GROIN STRETCH: Sit on the mat with the soles of your feet touching each other. Grab your ankles with both hands as you place your elbows on your knees. Spread your knees apart by pushing them down with your elbows as you bend forward at the waist and bring your chin to your chest. Repeat the proper number of repetitions. + ALTERNATE GROIN STRETCH: Get down on the exercise mat on your hands and your knees. While still on your hands and knees, spread your knees as far apart as possible while keeping your spine straight. Move your knees apart to get more of a stretch as needed. It is easier on your low back if you move your hips slightly toward your heels. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat once more. Be sure to breathe while you are stretching.
13. HAMSTRING STRETCH: Lay on the mat on your back. Grab the back of your right knee with both hands. If you cannot reach around your knee, wrap a towel behind your knee with each end ¡n each hand. Try to keep your left leg flat on the mat or floor. While holding on to your right knee, straighten your right knee so that the right foot moves upward toward the ceiling. Hold that stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds. Release the stretch then do it on the other leg. Repeat the stretch once more for each leg.
14. TUMMY TUCKER: Lay on the mat on your back. Spread your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Place your fingertips on the lower outside of your abdomen (have your physical therapist show you exactly where). Use your fingertips to tell you that your muscles are working properly. Turn your legs and feet slightly inward. Now ‘tuck your tummy’ (tensing those muscles) while raising your head and shoulders up off the mat by no more than 1 – 3 inches. Then let your head and shoulders back down. Be sure to breathe when you raise up. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
15. FRONT THIGH STRETCH: Lie on your right side and grab your left ankle with your left hand. Keep your thigh parallel to the floor as you pull your ankle back and AWAY from your bottom. (Do not pull your foot toward your rear-end) You should feel the stretch in the front of your thigh. Repeat the proper number of repetitions. Roll over onto your other side, change hand positions and stretch the other thigh. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
16. SIDE LEG LIFT: Lie square on your right side with your legs straight and the top leg on the floor behind the bottom leg with the toes pointing down and touching the floor. The heel should be pointed up toward the ceiling. Raise your top leg straight up toward the ceiling and back down. Be sure that your foot points down to the floor and not up toward the ceiling or your.face. Repeat. Roll over on to the other side and repeat the proper number of repetitions.
17. BOTH KNEES TO SHOULDERS: With both hands, grab your knees and pull the right knee to the right shoulder and the left knee to the left shoulder at the same time. Do this in a manner that makes your rear-end come up off the floor slightly. Repeat. If you cannot reach or hold onto your knees, wrap a towel behind both knees and hold on to each end with your hands. Complete the exercise as described above. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
18. KNEE AND HEAD OPPOSITE ROLLING: While on your back with both knees bent and the feet flat on the floor, lay both knees to the right while you turn your head and neck to the left. Then lay your knees to the left while you turn your head and neck to the right. Be sure to allow one of your hips to roll up and off of the mat. Your feet should still be on the floor and may roll from one side to the other also. Repeat.
19. THIGH AND ARM SLIDE: Lay on your side with your arms out in front of you laying one on top of the other with the palms touching each other. The legs should be laying one on top of the other as well with the hips and knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Slide the top thigh and top arm forward simultaneously over the thigh and arm respectively without lifting them up. The top hand should only reach slightly past the bottom hand. Then slide your top arm and leg back to the starting position. Repeat. Roll over onto the other side. Repeat.
20. FANNY LIFT: As you lie on your back, bend your knees and have your feet flat on the mat. Raise your fanny up and off of the floor as high as you can, keeping your trunk in a straight line from the shoulders to the knees. (Your shoulders must remain on the mat). Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
21. TOE POINTER: Lie on your back with your knees bent and both feet flat on the floor. There is more of a stretch with the arms spread as far as possible away from your sides. Five Steps
i. Bring your right knee to your chest
ii. straighten your leg and point the heel toward the ceiling (your knee should be straight)
iii. point your toes toward your face, hold your toes in this position
iv. lower your leg to the floor, keeping your knee straight
v. finish by bending your knee so that the foot ¡s flat on the floor
ALTERNATE BETWEEN RIGHT AND LEFT, Repeating the proper number of repetitions by alternating legs; right! left one, right / left two, right left three, etc.
22. ROLLING ANGEL: Lie on your back with your arms on the floor away from your sides at shoulder height. Your legs should be flat on the floor and the feet should be much wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your feet apart during the exercise. Bring your right arm across your body and touch the floor beneath (or past) your left hand. (Your right shoulder should come up off the floor, as should your right hip.) Return to the starting position and repeat with the left (only one arm should be moving at one time). Try to move so that you are not stiff in the trunk and midsection. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
23. THE SEAL: Lie on your stomach and place your arms down at your sides. 1) Bring your shoulder blades together behind you, 2) Raise your head, shoulder and chest off of the floor while keeping your shoulder blades together, 3) Relax and let your chest, arms and shoulders back down to the floor. Be sure to relax all of your muscles before lifting up for the next repetition. Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
24. ARM FLAPPING: Lie on your stomach with your arms straight out away from your sides at shoulder height, resting them on the floor palms down. Raise both arms up off of the floor toward the ceiling (not down toward the feet). Repeat the proper number of repetitions.
25. ELBOW PROPPING: Lie face down with your elbows under your shoulders. Let your tummy sag down toward the floor by relaxing your back, hip muscles and leg muscles. Be sure that your head is held up and not hanging down. Rest your chin on tips of your straightened fingers. Your nose should be pointed downward slightly. Hold the stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds then repeat once more. Be sure to breathe while you stretch.
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