Squats
Squatting may be the most functional movement pattern. Now before you get nervous about the word “squat” we don’t mean you have to do heavy weight with a barbell behind your back. Squatting with weight is great if you have good form and are looking to build strength and muscle in the legs but squatting also means sitting down into a chair, getting up and down from the toilet and so much more. Once you lose strength in the legs to squat down and do these things, you are more limited with your independence and will require others to help you do these things and increase your risk of falling.
Progressions of squatting include:
- Sit to stand with foam pads on chair to decrease the height you must squat to. Once this gets easy remove the pads and work your way to just the chair.
- Squat tap to a chair. Once you master the sit to stand with no foam padding, try to just squat and tap your butt to the chair without resting all your weight on the chair.
- Ball wall squats. If you have an open wall and a Swiss ball, you can put the ball on the wall and put the ball in the small of your back. From here, walk your feet out away from the wall and keep feet hip width apart. Lower your body towards the floor in a squat position and then return to the starting position by driving up through the legs.
- Free squat. This is just squatting with no assistance from a chair, Swiss ball, or anything.
- Goblet squat. Hold an appropriate weight for your ability in front of your chest keeping it close to your body. Squat down with good mechanics and then return to the standing position.
Hinge
The hip hinge pattern is another very important movement pattern that you will do until you die. When you hinge, that can involve bending at the waist to wash your feet, put your socks / shoes on or off as well as bending to put your pants on and so much more. If you start to do this wrong or can’t bend anymore to do these activities, it increases your risk of injuries especially to your lower back.
Progressions of hip hinging include:
- Butt taps to the wall. The first step to mastering the hip hinge is butt taps to the wall to understand how to properly unlock your hip. To do this, stand about a foot away from the wall with your feet about hip width apart. Bend at your waist and push your butt back until you “tap” the wall. After doing this, you will return to your starting position and squeeze the glutes until you are upright again.
- Neutral spine. Once you have mastered the art of unlocking your hips and hinging at the hips with the butt taps, the next step is to make sure you are maintaining a neutral spine. Maintaining a neutral spine includes having point of contact at the back of your head, in-between your shoulder blades and your pelvis – you can make sure you have points of contact with a PVC pole or broom behind your back. Once you have these points of contact, hip hinge at the waist and practice your butt taps to the wall.
- Pick up a light weight from a higher surface. Once you have mastered the hinge and are able to maintain a neutral spine to help protect your lower back, let’s add some weight to build strength in this position. You can start by placing a small item or weight on a elevated surface such as a stool or bench and while keeping good form and technique, hip hinge to pick the object / weight up and then standing back up while maintaining a good glute squeeze.
Carry
Carrying is another activity that we do quite often as well whether it is carrying the groceries, carrying a suitcase or even a glass of water from one room to another. When you carry something, you are engaging your core, shoulders as well as keeping a good grip on the item that you are carrying.
Progressions of carrying include:
- Farmers carry. A farmer carry is holding a weight in both hands and walking with that weight as you would with multiple bags of groceries. By doing this, make sure you maintain core engagement, squeeze the shoulders back and keep an upright posture.
- Suitcase carry. A suitcase carry is similar to the farmers carry, but is only holding weight in 1 hand vs. holding in both hands. Again, hold the weight in one hand, stand tall with your shoulders back and core engaged and walk with that weight. Holding the weight in 1 hand will force you to engage your oblique’s a little bit more.
- Loaded carry. Loaded carries are a series of 3 different carrying positions. The first position is holding a weight up overhead, keeping your bicep by your ear, elbow straight and standing nice and tall you’re your core engaged – walk 50 feet and then switch hands. After performing the overhead carry in each hand, hold your arm in a 90/90 position with your elbow in front of your body. Again, keep your core tight, standing tall and walk 50 feet and then switch hands. Lastly is the farmers carry in each hand.
Push
The push movement includes pushing a car door shut, pushing a shopping cart, pushing a cabinet door shut, inserting a plug, pushing, and moving furniture and so much more. If we push incorrectly and try using our back instead of our legs you are more prone to injuring your back.
Progressions of pushing include:
- Push ups. To build your upper body and pec muscles which help the upper body push things, push-ups are a great start! You can perform them by doing them on the wall and then work your way down to lower surfaces until you can do them on the ground!
- Heel raises. Often when we think of pushing we think just with our arms, but every day when we walk, we are pushing off with your toes to propel you forward. Without the strength of your calves, you can’t push off and correctly walk without an altered gait.
Pull
Pulling movements are like the push movement but moving in the opposite direction. These include pulling a door open, playing tug of war with your dog, pulling a chair out from under the table and so much more! If you incorrectly pull something using your back or shoulder, you are increasing your risk for injury.
Progressions of pulling include:
- Rows. To perform a row, safely secure a resistance band in a door handle about chest height. Take both ends of the band in each hand, take a step back until there is resistance, squeeze your shoulders down and back and then pull your elbows towards your ribcage. Hold for 2 seconds and then return to the starting position.
- Bicep curl. Take a weight in both hands that is challenging but doable. Start with your arms by your side and while keeping your elbows touching your side, pull you hands towards your biceps bending at the elbows and curl the weight up.
Give these exercises a try and you will be walking and doing your everyday life until you are 100!
If you are having any pain as you are doing these exercises, come into LSTC for an evaluation with one of our Doctor of Physical Therapists to figure out what is going on so you can continue living your best life until 100!
GIVE LOUDOUN SPORTS THERAPY CENTER A CALL AT 703-450-4300!
By Kelly Walker, PTA
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