Developmentally Disabled Workout of the Day (WOD)
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in here weekly to gain access to workout and nutrition ideas,
suggestions, topics, and motivation for those you know with
developmental and/or physical disabilities. Learn from people just like
you who will demonstrate the movements we do together in our workout
sessions.
Warm-Up's
October 2012
June 2012
This is a great exercise because it addresses many muscle groups as well as it is a cardiovascular workout
. We pretend like we are rowing a boat together out in the water and sometimes enact things chasing us, and pick up the pace, then we slow down to recover. This works well as a timed activity or to count. I like to follow this exercise up with sit-to-stand medicine ball chest passes.
May 2012 Here is a sample of an exercise we do in our medicine ball routine as part of a large group class. This is the men in my group demonstrating the coordination required to kick the ball in a straight line and stay balanced, cardiovascular exercise to continue moving throughout the drill, and brain work as the person is using both sides of his body to kick the ball and keep it moving.
* I apologize for the lines through the screen, my camera took a dip in the sink. I didn't want you to miss out on all the video I've been taking with my clients to help better instruct you on your exercises, so if you can look past the lines, I would appreciate it. This is a partner-pull up exercise. It is great for large groups of clients. Pair them up based on size and strength. You will need a PVC pipe, broomstick, or something else the same size that is strong enough to support body weight. Stand just as the gal's in the picture are, one straddles the other's middle. The person standing needs to bend at the knees, back straight, arms straight with a good base of stance for balance. The person on the floor pulls their upper body up toward the bar before lowering his/herself back to the floor.
I'll show you a great exercise to pair with this one below.
The video at the top depicts a pulling exercise, and this video shows a pushing exercise...for an antagonistic muscle workout. You can use heavier weights (which I suggest like the girls here are using)...or continue to use the PVC pipe or broomstick you used for the partner pull-up drill. Do 1-2 sets of the partner pull-ups before doing the squat to overhead press pictured here 1-2 times. Repeat this series 2-3 times before resting.
April 2012
This workout is very basic and easy-to-arrange. You will need stretchy resistance bands, with handles. I per person. I usually take all of the bands, line them up handle to handle in a straight line, then I grab the middle of the bands so they are folded in half and tie a huge knot in the middle. I try to make it so the handles all line up evenly. Then each person sitting or standing in a circle grabs 2 handles. Or 1 handle if you don't have enough bands for everyone to hold 2. I first instruct each person on different movements to do from this position. For example, pull both handles back, keeping the wrists neutral, squeezing the shoulder blades together and 'trying to touch the elbows behind their back' as they pull. Then slowly row their hands back forward mimicing the same movement back and forth either for time or counted reps. You can do these slow or fast. I also will have them pull the bands back and down, keeping the arms straight this time. Pulling the hands toward the floor and back to the hips before moving them back to the starting position. Keep the neck relaxed...use the stomach and tricep muscles to stabilize the body while pulling. Finally, I will have the clients raise their hands straight up in the air with straight arms, doing the same type of movement overhead, pulling the hands back as far as they can over their heads without bending the elbows too much before dropping their hands back down to chest height. This is a fun movement for everyone. I will also have the clients stand up and walk in a circle holding on to the bands, working on balance and changing directions.