This set of exercises are for the third week of our four-week stroke recovery exercise programme. This week we are focusing on building stamina. The video is aimed at stroke survivors in the red group. This group have limited mobility and need a carer or family member to support them with the exercises. Watch the introductory video for families and carers before starting this activity.

 

Nicole: Hello. I'm Nicole Lavin. I'm a specialist neurological physiotherapist, and I specialise in stroke rehabilitation. I have over 20 years experience working with stroke survivors following them through their journey from the acute stages, right the way through the rehabilitation process up until discharge. I feel absolutely privileged to be here today, working with A Stroke of Luck in collaboration with the Stroke Association to bring you these activity videos. I hope you enjoy.

 

Mark: Hi, my name is Mark Watterson. I'm also a physiotherapist who specialises in musculoskeletal injuries and neurological rehabilitation. My main passion in life is helping those recover from their stroke. I'm proud to bring you these activities in the videos you're about to watch.

 

Craig: In this set of activities, you will need a chair, a pillow and your carer or family member. Before starting the warm up to this activity, tt is very important that carers and family members watched the "Advice and Exercises for Carers" video.

 

Nicole: Okay, red group. This is your stamina warm up activity. And for this activity, you will need your carer or family member to assist you. It is important that your carer or family member has watched the advice and guidance video for carers before taking part in this activity. Okay, so the warm up, we're going to start with marching. Okay, so your strokes survivor needs to be sitting in a chair or wheelchair, sit up as tall as possible, and if needed, you can have a pillow to support the weaker arm. We're going to start with a 30 second march. Okay, so stronger leg, just lifting it up off the floor. Okay, Try to get your hip hop high and back down again. And, carer, you're going to facilitate the lift of the weaker leg, so you'll need a hand underneath knee and perhaps around ankle or foot, and you're going to lift and down. Okay, so we're going to do that activity for 30 seconds for the first part of the warmup. Are we ready? Okay, so hands in position. Ready when you are, off you go. That's it. Good. Just go at your own speed. It doesn't matter how many you do. It's just trying to get you warmed up for 30 seconds. If your stroke survivor can join in, in the weak, with the weaker leg, that's brilliant. Okay, keep that going. 30 seconds. The last couple, okay and rest. Okay, so that's part one of your warm up the second part of your warm up, we're still working on lower limbs. Okay, So what you're going to do with your stronger leg, you're going to kick it out so that your leg's, your knee's straight, Okay. And then bring it back. Let your heel touch the floor, and you're going to facilitate the weaker leg, Okay, So same exercise. Bringing it down, back, touch the floor. As soon as that touches, that one goes back out. We're going to do that five repetitions each side. Are we ready? Off you go. Straight down, up and down. That's two. Up, and down. Okay. Thinking about your handling where your facilitating so again, around the knee and foot and ankle. Okay. And again, joining as much as you can. Last one. And last one on this side. You might not get the full range. Just work within what range is available. Okay, The last part of the warm up activity. Okay, Is looking at your upper body. So for this activity, you're going to be working your stronger arm first of all, trying to straighten out your elbow, bringing it up to shoulder height. Okay, 'bout there and then back down again. And we're going to do the same on the weaker arm. Okay? Again, we're going to do five repetitions. Carer handling, you need to support shoulder. Okay. And around wrist to take the weight of the arm. Okay. So stronger side first. Up, down. Up, and down. Up. And down. Straighten out as much as you can. Take the weight of the arm and down. That's two Three. And three. And again, you might not get the range, and it should not be working within any pain. So just go within your available range of movement. And final one. Okay. And rest. Okay. And well done. That's your warm up complete. We're just going to take a short pause there so you can go over the coaching points for the activity that we've just shown you.

 

Craig: Sit in your chair as tall as you can and support your weaker arm with a pillow. March your legs while sitting in the chair. Start with your stronger leg and then move to your weaker leg. Your carer will assist your weaker leg to do this but join in as much as you can and keep marching for 30 seconds. Now straighten your stronger leg and then bend your knee to bring your foot back to the floor. Then repeat with your weaker leg. Your carer will help your weaker leg to do this. But again, join in as much as you can. Repeat five times each side. Straighten your stronger arm and bring your arm up to shoulder height. Repeat with your weaker arm with your carer assisting you to do this. Do not move past pain or restrictions. Repeat five times with each arm.

 

Nicole: Okay, this is exercise one for the Red Group for stamina exercises. Okay, for this activity, you need to be sitting in your wheelchair or chair, okay? And you're going to be doing some upper limb movements with a little bit of trunk rotation. Um, your carer or family member needs to be supporting the weaker arm. Okay, so we're going to take the support if there is any support in place out for this activity, just so you get a little bit more trunk rotation. You want to stand with a wide base, so you're taking the weight of the arm. Okay, so with your stronger arm, make a fist, okay? And bring it out to punch across your body, bringing in some rotation activity there. And whilst your stroke survivor is doing that, you are supporting the weight of the weaker arm. Then we're going to do it on the weaker arm. So you may need to support elbow and shoulder with one hand whilst you facilitate them making the fist. Okay, make the fist we're going to bring get round and across the body. Really bend your knees and really give it a good stretch around. Okay, bring it back to the start position. Take the weight of the elbow. So you support your shoulder, and then where possible, try to un-grip the hand and fingers. This might be difficult if there is any increased tone or spasticity in the hand. But do what you can to get a bit of a stretch. So we're taking it through the available range. Okay. For this exercise, we're going to do it for 30 seconds alternate. Are we ready? Off we go. Strong side first, all the way round. Make the fist, across, back. Open. Well done, keep that going. Get as much rotation as possible and out. Good. Make that fist, round we go. And relax. We'll take a short pause there so you can go through the coaching points for the activity that we have just shown you.

 

Craig: Sit in your chair. Your carer will help you to move your weaker arm. But do try to join in. Make a fist with your stronger arm and punch across your body, turning your body as you do this. Now, do this with your weaker arm. Your carer will help you to make a fist and move your arm across your body. Do not push past pain or restrictions. Repeat with alternate arms for 30 seconds.

 

Nicole: Okay, Red Group. This is your second exercise of the stamina stamina group. Okay. And for this activity, your stroke survivor needs to be in sitting in the chair or wheelchair with the weaker arm supported if required. This exercise is actually going to be working on the lower part of the body. Okay, we're going to work on similar activity to what we did in the warm up. So you're going to have the knee straightening out, okay and tapping down. And when the heel hits the floor, the opposite leg, so the weaker leg, you're actually going to lift up towards the roof and down. As this heel taps down, you're then going to go back into another cycle. So it's knee out, down, hip up down, knee out, down, hip up, down. We're going to do this activity for one minute, okay? Carer or family member, you need to take the weight of the leg. Okay? So your hand will be underneath the knee and again around foot and ankle. Okay? And I'll show you as we're going through this how to handle the limb. Okay. Are we ready? One minute. Off you go. So kick the knee out. Heel down. On heel down, up. Down. Out, so you're taking the weight, down. Up, down. Out, down. Up, down. Out, down. Up, down. Keep that going. Out, down. Up, down. Out, down. Up, down. Keep this going for one minute. Okay? And if you're stroke survivor can join in with the weaker leg. That's excellent. Out, down. Up, down. Out, down. Up, down and rest. Okay, let's take a short pause there so you can go over the coaching points of the activity that we've just shown you.

 

Craig: Sit in your chair with your weaker arm supported with a pillow. Straighten your stronger knee and then bring your foot back to the start position. Bring your weakening up towards the ceiling and then take your foot back to the floor. Next, straighten your weaker knee and then bring your foot back to the start position. Lift your stronger knee up towards the ceiling and then take your foot back to the floor. Your carer will help your weaker leg to do this, but join in as much as you can. Repeat this sequence for one minute.

 

Nicole: Stamina Red Group Exercise three. Okay, Red Group. This is the third and final exercise from your stamina set of exercises. Your stroke survivor will be in the chair or wheelchair, and if they can sit forward and place a pillow or some support across the lower part of their back, just to give them a little bit of feedback throughout this exercise. Carer, you need to be stood on their weaker arm and this is a trunk exercise. So we're looking at stability and stamina, and we're looking at symmetry of movement as you're moving through the exercise. So carer, you're handling is going to be around wrist and supporting shoulder. OK, hand on the lap if it can. Okay. And you're going to work in symmetry if you can. Okay. To take your hands down, slide them down past the knees, so bringing your head down and then you're coming back up until you feel back in contact with the pillow support at the back of the chair. It is really important that the carer handling here does not pull the arm. You are literally going trying to get the symmetry of movement with the stronger arm. Okay, we're going to do this for 30 seconds. It's not a race. Take your time, okay? And we're looking at control of movement and symmetry. Okay, ready? Off we go. So supporting down, don't pull the arm and then helping facilitate back up all the way back. Good. And again. And it's important that this activity is done slowly and controlled, okay? And not rushed. And carer as you move forward, okay facilitate the arm. You're transferring your weight from one leg to the other. One more and back up. Let's take a short rest, and we're going to repeat that again for another 30 seconds. So when you're ready? Okay. Are we ready? Off we go. So slide down, just past the knees if you can. Okay, and back up. You should not be working into any pain whatsoever. So in a comfortable range. Down, back up. And as you come back up, try to get that symmetry. Stay in the middle. Good. And last one. Back up. Okay, let's take a short pause there so we can go over the coaching points of the activity that we've just shown you.

 

Craig: Sit in your chair with a pillow behind your lower back. Your carer will support and assist your weaker arm as you do this activity. If able, rest both hands on your thighs. Slide both hands down to just pass your knees and then sit back up and rest again in the chair. If you find it difficult to sit back up, slide your hands to your knees. Your carer must not pull your weaker arm during this activity. Do this for 30 seconds. And then rest and repeat.