even more effective arm exercises

As I promised last week, I’d like to share with you even more ARM exercises I found from Flint Rehab for post-stroke persons working on regaining their mobility and strength. (“15 Effective Arm Exercises for Stroke Patients to Regain Mobility,” dated September 21, 2018)  I added some of my own ideas, as well, that I think you will find helpful. Again, you should read the Flint Rehab article for more details, but I want to share with you as much as I can.
I have included 3 exercises again today from that article. I have tried them, and have incorporated them into my routine.  I hope that you find them useful.

DIRECTIONS

The first one is called the Straight Push - Place a full water bottle on the table in front of you at arm’s length. Then, intertwine your fingers from both hands. Rest your hand and forearm (of your affected hand/arm) on the table. Then, stretch and reach your arm across the table to tap the water bottle.  Put as much of the pressure on your affected hand/arm as you can, and push the water bottle a little farther away from you, as much as you can. Then, pull your arms back down in front of you and rest your shoulders down. Put just as much attention and focus into pulling your arms back in as you do pushing them out.  Complete 10 pushes.
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Something I am practicing, and will share in a video as soon as I have mastered, is an addition to this exercise.  It is picking up the full water bottle with my affected hand. I make sure that my index finger and my thumb are opening and closing well from my Golf Ball Exercise (see what I shared 1/15/19). I hold onto the water bottle, pick it up and then see if I can carry it and then set it back down on a counter straight up. (I am already also practicing with using my affected right arm/hand by unhanging hangers and rehanging them! I am also trying to use my right hand again as much as I can - it is such a good re-trainer for my brain!!)
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The second one I want to share with you today is called the Circle Movement - Place a full water bottle on top of a table in front of you. (Well, either with your affected hand or with your unaffected hand, or have your unaffected hand “assist” your affected hand).  Then, intertwine your fingers from both hands together and wrap them around the water bottle. Then, make large circular movements with your arms. As you move around in a big circle, focus on really stretching your affected arm. Perform 10 big, slow circles. First move 5 clockwise, then move 5 counter-clockwise. Do these 5 total times, at least.

And finally, the third one today is called Cane Leaning - Sit in chair with your legs the same distance apart as your shoulders. With a cane on your affected side, place your affected hand on the cane handle and then place your unaffected hand on top of your affected hand for support and security.  Stretch and lean into your affected side. Be sure to keep your feet planted on the ground and use your non-affected side to help keep yourself stable and steady. Feel a nice stretch, count to about 10 then return to an upright position. Repeat 3-5 times.

So that adds 3 arm exercises!

God Bless, Peg

"When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal, you do not change your decision to get there." -- Zig Ziglar