Fitness with Friends: Partner Exercise

VOICE: For more information and a full transcript of this video, check out Fun4theDisabled.com. When joining us for this video, you need to take some precautions as your health and safety are the most important. To avoid any injury or harm, you need to check your health with your doctor before exercising. By performing any fitness exercises without supervision like with this video, you are performing them at your own risk. See a fitness professional to give you advice on your exercise form. Strategy for Access Foundation NFP and Shirley Ryan Abilities Lab will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of this video.

INSTRUCTOR: Hello everyone. So for today what we’re gonna do is a few exercises that you can do if you have a caregiver, if you have someone at home that can give you a hand, or if you have someone you wanna assist doing some exercises. So we’re gonna start with the upper body and then we’ll move to the lower body. We’ll start with some stretching and then we’ll do some active-assisted range of motion exercises. Alright, follow along and then I’ll repeat as necessary.

INSTRUCTOR: Alright so for the first exercise, what I wanna do is we’re gonna stretch out the neck a little bit. So easiest way to do this if you can, step behind. So you’re gonna have them turn their head away from you, you’re gonna place one hand gently on the shoulder, keeping a little pressure down. The other hand gently on the back of their head, and then you’re gonna press away, trying to keep even pressure between both, right? Communicate with each other, make sure that the stretch isn’t too far. And then if they need it, they can drop their arm a little bit. Alright, so we’re gonna hold this 15-20 seconds, relax, and then we’ll do the other side. So we’re gonna hold this for another 3, 2, 1, and then we’re gonna switch. So I’m gonna slide over, we’re gonna turn the head the other way. Place my hand on the shoulder, hand up here, drop the hand if needed, and then we’re gonna press away. Again we’re gonna communicate, make sure that if it’s too much, they let you know. Right, and we’re moving gently, we’re not forcing the muscles to move, right? We don’t wanna injure anything, it’s just nice, gentle pressure. Gonna hold this for another 3, 2, and 1. Very nice, come up and relax. Good.

INSTRUCTOR: The next exercise, we’re gonna stretch out the chest a little bit. So what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna take their hand, we’re gonna place our hand at about the wrist, the other hand gently on the shoulder just to brace. And then with a nice straight arm, you’re gonna pull back as far as is comfortable. Make sure you move slowly, right? You don’t wanna just yank their arm back, you want them to hold it. Alright, if they can, they can turn their head away, get a little more. They should be feeling it towards the front of the shoulder and in that chest. Alright, we’re gonna hold that, go for about another 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, good. We’re gonna turn their arm, and then we’re gonna switch over to the other side. So same thing, we’re gonna take this wrist, place the hand at the shoulder, brace, and then gentle pull. Right, once again, turn the head if you need it, and you wanna feel that right here in the front of that shoulder. So nice and easy, good. We’re gonna hold it for about another 10 seconds here. Remember to remind them to breathe throughout, right? Keep the muscles nice and relaxed, as best you can. For 3, 2, and 1. Good, turn that, and then relax.

INSTRUCTOR: This next exercise, we’re gonna stretch out the rear delt a little bit. So if they can, you can do it yourself. So you can place your arm across your chest, take the other hand and give it a little assist from the elbow to press up. If you wanna do it with a little assistance, you can take one hand brace at the shoulder, the other hand at the elbow, and then press up for them, kinda like you’re trying to squeeze both hands together. And hold. Right, remembering to breathe throughout for 3, 2, and 1. Good, we’re gonna relax, and then we’re gonna have you switch sides. Alright, same thing, so we’ll hold that arm. And if you need a little assistance, one hand on the back, one hand at the elbow, and then press up. Right, we’re gonna breathe, and we’re gonna go for 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. And relax.

INSTRUCTOR: Alright for this next exercise, we’re gonna do a little bit of active-assisted range of motion. So for the first one, we’re just gonna work on this shoulder flexion. So we’re gonna pick up the arm. So kinda like we did for the stretch, we’re gonna brace here, we’re gonna bring the other hand up and we’re gonna assist to lift as high as is comfortable, and then we’re gonna bring it back down. So if you’re assisting, you wanna do as little work as needed, right? So you want whoever’s working, you’ve gotta be doing most of the work. Alright, so this is our fourth one here, we’re gonna bring it back. So we’re gonna do about 10 here. So as much work as you can do, you do it. And when you need a little assistance, have somebody help you with it. Good, give me two more here. And last one. Good. Alright let’s switch sides and we’ll do the same thing. So we’re gonna go for about 10 here. So holding at the wrist, we’re gonna raise up nice and high, good. As high as is comfortable, right? Trying to get a nice full range of motion. Alright, especially if you’re getting a little assistance, you wanna make sure you’re going as high as possible. Good. Nice. Alright, little over halfway there. Good, give me one more. And relax. Very nice.

INSTRUCTOR: This next exercise, we’re gonna do some assisted shoulder abduction. So what we’re gonna do is, similar position as the other exercise, slightly more on the forearm we’re gonna brace. So we’re gonna start with a straight arm here, we’re gonna bring it out as far as you can go, right, and then bring it back. So remember, this is assisted active, right? So keyword being “active”, so you wanna be working while you’re doing this. That assistance is just to help to fight the gravity and to make sure you get that full range of motion every time. Alright, we’re gonna go for about 10 reps here. Nice work. Good, give me two more. And last one. Good. Rest the arm. And let’s go to the other side. Alright so we’ll start in front, nice straight arm. We’re gonna swing it out. Alright, remember to breathe throughout. And communicate, if you feel like it’s too far or if you feel like you can go a little bit further, talk to each other, make sure you know how far you wanna go. Good, and for those of you assisting, remember if you’re helping you’re there to help, you’re not there to do all the work for them. Alright you wanna be– you want them to do as much as possible. For two more. And last one. And relax. Good work.

INSTRUCTOR: Alright for this next set of exercises, we’re gonna work on the lower body a bit. So if you can, you can go down on the floor, you can kneel or sit. Or you can grab a chair or a stool. So I’m gonna grab a stool and then I’m gonna pull up next to them. So for you there in the chair, you can scoot back. Make sure you have something for your back to brace against, this way you’re not moving away, you don’t have to work too much harder there. And it gives you a more stable position to be able to move from. So if you’re assisting, you can take one hand and place it kinda behind the knee to lift the leg, other hand under the foot. And then gently we’re gonna raise the leg, trying to keep this knee nice and straight. If you wanna add a little bit more, what you can do is grab that foot, and then you’re gonna press up towards them. Right, while you’re holding this, make sure you communicate, right? So if you need to go a little higher, if you need to come down a little bit, relax, let them know. We’re gonna hold this about 15-20 seconds. So about 3, 2, and 1. And we’re gonna relax. And then we’re gonna switch sides and we’re gonna do the same thing. Alright so hand under the leg, alright we’re gonna pick up this foot, and then we’re gonna pick up the leg as high as we can go. And where it feels comfortable, right, if we need– if we want to, we’re gonna add a little bit of the foot. So we’re gonna press that, stretch it out, make sure we’re getting that calf in. Remind them to breathe, alright. Make sure that they’re keeping those muscles nice and relaxed the whole way. Alright we’re gonna hold that for about 3, 2, and 1. And relax. Good!

INSTRUCTOR: Alright so this next exercise we’re gonna do, we’ll get a little bit of active-assisted range of motion. So again, if they have a backrest, you wanna be up against the backrest, make sure they’re nice and solid there. And what we’re gonna work on are some kicks, okay? So we’re gonna take our hand and place it behind the knee, if I can kinda elevating her leg a little bit. So I like to have my forearm on my knee, this way I get a nice stable surface to lift from. My other hand is gonna go kind of behind– under the ankle. And then what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna kick, and I’m gonna help to lift as high as we can. Alright so again, I’m not doing the work, I am assisting with the work. So they’re gonna do as much as possible and then you just help to finish, make sure they get a nice solid range of motion. Right, we wanna go all the way through as best we can. For two more. And last one. Good. And then we’re gonna switch sides and we’re gonna do the same thing. Alright so hand under the knee. Alright, and then we’re gonna kick up and you’re gonna bring it back. Kicking it up, bringing it back. Reminding them to breathe. Reminding them to lift, right? They wanna kick those toes up as high as possible. Good, for three more. Last two. Last one. Good, and relax.

INSTRUCTOR: Alright for this next one, we’re gonna do some leg lifts. So what you’re gonna do, the goal is to pick up that knee as high as possible, right? So same position as earlier, you’re gonna have one hand under, you’re gonna have another hand in front, and then we’re gonna help lift up as high as possible. Okay, so as we are lifting here, alright, we’re trying to go as high as we can. And then making sure that we’re assisting, we’re not doing all of the work for them. Nice work, good. Making sure that we’re using these quads to lift with, alright, those hip flexors to lift with. Good. One more here. And relax. And now let’s switch sides. Here it’s the same thing, hand under the knee. Alright, and we’re gonna lift and lower. Good. Picking it up, making sure we’re using those hip flexors, right? Trying to get that knee up nice and high the whole time. Remembering to breathe. Good, we’ll go four, three, two, and last one. Good work.

[Guitar instrumentals]