Home Exercise Program

This is an individualised home exercise program that I have made for Christine, a patient introduced to us at the start of second semester. Below you will find a list of strength of balance exercises, including descriptions. You will also find a rationale as to why I have chosen the exercises below.

Home Exercise Program

Day 1 - Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Exercise One - Rooster Pose

Exercise Two - Sit to Stand

Exercise Three - Calf Raises

3 sets of 5 repetitions

Start by lifting one leg up as high as possible, making sure to bend your knee.
Hold onto your kitchen bench for more stability.
Each repetition is a 4 second hold.
This exercise aims to improve your balance on one leg, specifically in Tai Chi, helping you get back to participating in it.
Once you feel like this is getting easier, you can progress to remove your hands from supporting you.

2 sets of 5 repetitions

Start sitting close to the edge of a chair, toes in line with your knees, keeping your back straight.
Lean forward and stand up, reversing this process when sitting back down.
This will make standing up and sitting down much easier.
Focus on the points given in the first dot point to make this movement easier and more efficient.
Once you feel like this is getting easier, you can put a pillow on the chair, and once you feel yourself touching the pillow, stand back up without sitting down.

2 sets of 10 repetitions

Start standing, facing your kitchen bench, with both hands flat on the bench.
Lift your heels off the ground, using your hands to stabilise and to put some extra force through.
It is important to keep this slow and controlled to ensure balance is maintained.
Doing this will help to make reaching things high up much easier.
Once this feels like it's getting easier, you can progress to have just your finger tips on the kitchen bench.

Day 2 - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

Exercise One - Semi Tiger Pose

Exercise Two - RDL Variation

Exercise Three - Step-ups

2 sets of 4 repetitions

Start by moving one foot in front of the other, keeping them as in line with each other as possible. Hold this position, using your arms to stabilise if necessary.
Each repetition consists of a 15 second hold. Make sure both legs are in front the same number of times, 4 each.
This aims to improve your balance, applying it to a Tai Chi stance, helping you get back to it as soon as possible.
Once this is getting easier, you can add in different hand movements learnt in Tai Chi.

2 sets of 4 repetitions

Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Keep a straight back with a slight bend in your knees. Make sure those two things stay consistent throughout the exercise.
Reach down with your arms and pick up an object. This can be a tissue box to start with. Once you have the item, stand up and drop it back to the ground.
This will make it easier when picking things up, and will also put less load through your knees.
Once this is getting easier, you can progress to picking up a heavier object, such as one of your weights.

2 sets of 8 repetitions

Start standing at the bottom of your stairs, stepping up with one leg and putting some weight on it, then stepping back down. Repeat this with the other leg. That is two repetitions.
Doing this will make it much easier to walk up stairs, specifically aiming to get you back to doing your Rottnest Island tours.
Once this is getting easier, you can turn your head from side to side while doing it, in order to challenge your balance.

Rationale

Below you will find a copy of my rationale. To download a high definition copy of it, please click the word document button to the right.