1Book Opening
- Lie on your side with your head supported and your knees bent up to 80-90 degrees.
- Place your arms in front of you in front of your chest with hands together.
- Lift your top arm up and over your body towards the floor behind you drawing a semicircle.
- Rotate with the breastbone and ensure the pelvis remains still.
- Hold at the end of movement for a breath.
- Lift the arm up and reverse the semicircle movement until back at the start.
- Complete as per Physiotherapist guidelines.
2Crab Walk [Knees]
- Secure the band above the knees.
- Come into a squat position, sending the hips back and maintaining the knees over the top of the ankles.
- Side step controlling the movement of the stepping foot against the band.
- As you step imagine you are passing under a shallow roof, maintaining the squat depth.
3Bridge [Segmental]
- Push through your feet to lift your bum up in the air.
- When lowering down, try to roll your spine down one segment/vertebrae at a time.
- This is a great way to re-introduce flexion/bending in a safe and comfortable position.
4Ankle Dorsiflexion [Knee to Wall Assisted]
- Your Physiotherapist will provide or recommend a Theraband of appropriate resistance for this exercise.
- Anchor the Theraband to a sturdy point, low to the ground forming a hoop.
- Step into the band and secure the band underneath the bones on the inside and outside of your ankle.
- Move the target limb forward to take up the tension of the band.
- Keep the opposing limb straight and behind for stability.
- Slowly move the knee of the target limb over the top of the ankle, increasing the movement at the ankle joint.
- Hold for the period of time designated by your Physiotherapist.
- Extend the knee from the lunge position and repeat as per prescribed repetitions.
5Heel Raise [Step]
- Stand on a step with one foot, hanging your heel over the edge.
- Slowly lift your heel up.
- Slowly lower your heel down, going lower than the step.
- Repeat this as many times as your Physiotherapist has prescribed.
6Wrist Extension
- Position yourself with the affected limb positioned on a bench or as shown below or resting on the knee.
- The elbow should be bent to approximately 90 degrees.
- Hold the weight with the wrist in a flexed position.
- Using the unaffected arm lift the wrist into an extended position.
- Remove the support of the unaffected arm and slowly lower to the starting position.
- The unaffected arm must be used each time to elevate the wrist into the extended position.
- Control the return and repeat.
Use any household item that is about 1kg e.g waterbottle