Check with your physician or health care provider before beginning exercises. Perform all exercises with slow rhythmic movements and always while sitting or lying down on a firm surface. Start slowly and gradually increase the number of times you do each exercise. For added benefits, use weights for the arm exercises: 1-pound weights and gradually increase as tolerated.
Arm exercises
- Lie on your back, arms at your sides. Raise your arms straight up and back as far as you can. Repeat
- Lie on your back, arms at your sides. Keep your upper arms on the firm surface and raise your lower arms, then lower. Repeat.
- Rotate one arm in a large circle. Repeat. Rotate the other arm in a large circle. Repeat.
- With your arms at your sides, raise both lower arms while keeping your elbows on the surface, then bring both hands toward the center of the body, then out to each side; bring hands back to center of body; then reach arms as high as possible from the shoulders. Bring arms back to the center of the body, then out to each side, back to the center of the body then down along side your body. Repeat.
Hand and feet exercises
- While lying down, rest upper arms on firm surface and raise both hands up in the air. Bend wrists and straighten both ankles as far as possible; return to the original position. Repeat.
- In the above position, open fingers as far as possible then make a fist as tight as possible. As you make each fist, curl toes as much as possible. As you open your hands, bring toes back to relaxed position. Repeat.
- In the above position, rotate hands at the wrists and feet at the ankles. Repeat
Leg exercises
- Raise one leg as high as you can, keeping it as straight as possible. Repeat. Raise the other leg as high as possible. Repeat.
- Swing one leg in as big a circle as possible. Repeat. Swing the other leg in as big a circle as possible. Repeat.
- Lying flat, bend knees and have your feet on the firm surface; then raise both lower legs and straighten as much as you can. Repeat.
- Bend knees and keep feet flat on the bed. Raise one leg, put that foot on the opposite knee and drop that bent knee as far out as possible. Repeat. Do the same with the opposite leg. Repeat.
- Lying flat, raise both knees toward your chest, grab your knees and bring your knees as close to your chest as possible. As you raise your head to do this, it will tighten your abdominal muscles. Repeat.
- Raise both legs just off the surface; spread your legs as far as possible and return them to nearly touching. Repeat. Keep feet from touching the surface as you repeat the exercise.
Arm and leg exercises
- Stand, holding a stable piece of furniture with one hand/arm to steady yourself. Swing the opposite arm and leg forward as far as possible, then back as far as possible. Repeat. Turn to hold the piece of furniture with the other arm and hand. Swing the opposite arm and leg as far forward then back as possible. Repeat.
- With the same position as in #1, move arm and leg out away from the body; return to the body. Repeat.
Pat yourself on the back for doing something good for your body!
