10 Minute Chair Based Strength Workout For Stroke Recovery

Hey everyone, my name is Antony Bryan and I'm a personal trainer with Vahemaplegia. Now in today's video, we're going to be doing a 10 minute chair based strength workout for stroke survivors and stroke recovery. So in today's workout, every exercise is going to be for one minute and I want you to do the exercises along with me so that we can do it together because it's really challenging doing these exercises on your own. So we're going to do one minute on the clock and our first exercise is going to be high knee marching on the spot. Let's get ready, three, two, one. One minute. March those legs up and down, nice and high. So the higher your knees, the better. So if you think about where your belly button is, I want you to try and pull those knees up above the belly button height. This is going to engage your lower core muscles and your hip flexors. These muscles are really key for helping us to walk, move around, mobility for every single day in our lives. So march those legs up and down, nice and high. Don't just lift them off the ground, really pick them up. The higher the better. And if you want to make it harder, march with a bit more speed. High knees and speed and drive. Sit tall to engage more of those core muscles and bring those arms back as you march. We have eight seconds left, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, relax. Next, now you're going to widen your legs so your legs are wider than your chair legs. And I want you to pick those knees up again. So it's a high knee march, but wide legs. Now this is going to engage more of your quads. So it's more challenging because normally we walk with our legs in the middle. So going wide, it's going to get the outside of our quads more. We're going to do it for a minute again, let's get ready, three, two, one, let's go. So legs wide, outside your chair and lift those knees. So again, you want to try and get those knees up above that belly button height. Make sure you start for those quads working already. And if you want to make it harder, a bit more drive and speed in those high knee marches. Lift those legs nice and high. If you want to make it harder, bring your legs wider and those knees higher. So we've got hip flexors working, lower core muscles working, and some of these quad muscles working. Keep those legs wide and keep that height. Bit more drive in those steps. Keep it going, speed it up. Keep those legs wide, do not let them go narrow. We have 10 seconds left. Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, relax. Good. Next, I want feet together and then feet wide. Feet together, feet wide. Then we get some speed going, out, in, out, in, out, in. At the same time, it's going to work those lower core muscles again, and we get those abductors and adductors working. One minute on the clock, let's get ready, three, two, one, let's go. So feet together, wider than your chair, together, wider than your chair, together. If that's too easy, get some speed going. Out, in, out, in, out, in. The wider you go, the better. Try and sit nice and tall. Just start to feel those quads working already. Wide, narrow, wide, narrow. Keep it going, get that speed going. Really concentrate and make sure that weaker leg is going out as wide as you can. Don't need that stronger leg. Do all of the work. We have 20 seconds to go. Keep those legs going. Wide, narrow, wide, narrow. Good. Keep it going. 10 seconds, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, relax. You should really feel those quads starting to burn now. We're going to do another core exercise. So I want you to kick one leg straight, toes facing the ceiling, and down, and then kick the opposite leg up and down. Now, this is engaging the quad muscles, the main quad muscles that work to help us with walking and going up and down stairs. Let's get ready. One minute, switching from right to left. Three, two, one, let's go. So kick that leg straight, down. Opposite leg up, down. Kick, down. Now, you may notice that my stronger side goes higher. My weakest side, not as high. But as long as that foot is coming off the ground, those quad muscles are engaging. We're looking for that movement. And if you can, the higher, the better. So the higher that heel, the more quad muscles engage. Good. So we want to get those muscles really working. So let's speed it up a bit. Right, left, kick, one, two. Kick those heels up. Make sure those toes are facing the ceiling when you kick up. Don't have them facing forwards because then we're not getting that extension all the way up. Kick those legs. Last 10 seconds. Good. Keep kicking those legs all the way up, nice and high. Three, two, one, relax. Good. Next, we're going to do 30 seconds on each leg. I want you to straighten one leg, toes facing the ceiling again. And now we're going to do circles. So leg straight, do not bend that knee and do not let that heel touch the ground. Go circles going clockwise. Get ready. Three, two, one. So just one leg straight, clockwise circles. We're going to do it for 30 seconds. And then we're going to switch sides. All the way around. Lift that heel nice and high. Good. Keep it going. Got 15 more seconds. Keep that leg up. You're going to start feeling that quad burn. Last 10 seconds. Eight, seven, six, five. Get those circles. Get that heel up. Three, two, one. Opposite side, up. Now, again, that weaker leg may not get as high as that stronger leg, but as long as you're keeping it straight and off the ground, those quad muscles are engaging. Good. Lift that weaker heel up off the ground. Do not let that heel touch the ground. You can start to feel those quads engaging and working. We only have 10 seconds left. Keep that leg up off the ground. Good. Keep it going. Keep that leg up. I can feel that in the quads now. Three, two, one. Relax. Shake it out. Next. Now, I'll give you a few options. Hardest option, I want hands across the chest. You're going to push up and then slowly come down. Easier option, hands on the legs, lean forward and push up off the knees and come down. So, I'm going to do it for one minute. So, let's get ready. Three, two, one. Let's go. So, either across the chest and push up or hands on the knees and down, but slowly come down. So, push up and come down for three, two, one. Push up. Come down, three, two, one. Push up. Come down, three, two, one. Push. Three, two, one. Push. Three, two, one. Keep going, really control it on the way down. Three, two, one. Push. Fifteen seconds. Three, two, one. Push. Three, two, one. Push. Last 10 seconds. Three, two, one. Relax. Now, I want your legs chair width apart or wider. The wider, the more challenging. Now, you can either have your arms across the chest or again, put those hands on the knees. We're going to stand up, wide legs, slowly down, wide legs. Don't just plonk yourself down on that chair. Three seconds on the way down. Get ready. Three, two, one. Let's go. So, either across the chest or on the knees, come down, three, two, one. Keep those legs nice and wide. Up. You might feel that balance working as well. Three, two, one. Push. Three, two, one. Push. Three, two, one. Push. Thirty seconds to go. Three, two, one. You might feel the outside of these quads working because we don't normally stand with our legs this wide. We're working different quad muscles. Good. Keep pushing up. Three, two, one. Push. Three, two, one. One more. Push. And come down. Three, two, one. Relax. Shake it out. Next, shoulders. We're going to work on those shoulders. So, if you want to work both thumbs individually, you want both thumbs at a right angle, and you're going to push both thumbs up as high as you can, and then down. Now, I can't get my weaker arm up that high on its own. So, if you're going to do an assisted version, I want hands together, up above the head, and down. Up above the head, and down. This is going to work those shoulders, but also give you a big stretch in those lats. Let's get ready for one minute. Three, two, one. Let's go. So, either individuals pushing up, or assisted version, bringing both hands together, up, up, and down. Up, and down. You want to get as high as you can, really pull those arms back. You're going to feel a stretch, but you're also going to feel those shoulder muscles working. We have a final 30 seconds. Get those arms up nice and high. Good. Final 20 seconds. Get those last few reps in. Sit nice and tall. You might feel that weaker arm resisting against you, but try and get it up and out, stretching it all the way out. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Relax. Next, arms by your side. You're going to arms go out wide, and then bring them down to the middle. Out wide, and down to the middle. When we get to 30 seconds, we're going to keep our arms up, and we're going to pulse them up and down. Get ready. Three, two, one. Arms to the side, go out wide, bring them down. Out wide, bring them down. Now, again, I can't get my weaker arm up as high or as straight as my stronger arm, but as long as that arm is coming away from the center line of the body, those shoulder muscles are engaging, so really get that weaker arm up as high as you can. Good. Seven seconds, then we're going to keep them up and pulse them. Three, two, one. Keep those arms up nice and high, and we pulse them up and down like we're flapping our wings. For 30 seconds, so up, down, up, down. Keep them straight. Now, you should feel the burn in the outside of those shoulders really start to increase. Pulse those arms up and down, up and down. We have 10 seconds to go. Do not drop those arms just yet. Six, five, four, three, two, one. Relax. Now, we're on to our final exercise. It's going to be shoulders again with a little bit of core. So, arms into that T-shape, nice and straight out wide. At the same time, you're going to march those legs up and down. Now, do not drop those arms. We're going to hold them up for one minute. Keep it away from the body as high as you can. Get ready. Three, two, one. Arms up. So, T-shape. March those legs. So, the outside of the shoulders are holding the arms up. The core is keeping you tall. Your lower core and your hip flexors are lifting the knees up and down. So, all of these muscles are engaging all at the same time. Keep those arms up nice and high, especially that weaker arm. Do not let that weaker arm drop. Really work those shoulders. This is going to help build the strength in those shoulders. This is our final exercise, so do not drop those arms. Really make it work. We can rest afterwards. Keep those arms up. We only have 20 seconds left. Now, that burn should be kicking in. Do not drop those arms. Keep them up. Those wrists should be in line with those shoulders, not down here, up here. Now, lift those knees. Lift those knees. Seven seconds. Do not drop those arms. Five, four, three, two, one. Relax. Roll those shoulders up. So, that is our 10-minute workout to build strength while seated. And that's for stroke survivors, or those of you that have recently been in your stroke recovery journey. Let me know in the comments what exercises worked well for you, which ones you enjoyed, and which ones you didn't enjoy so much. That is our workout done. I will see you in the next workout video. Make sure you subscribe to check out all my workout videos, and I'll see you soon.