Activities of Daily Living

Since we are working with seniors, it's helpful to understand "Activities of Daily Living". These are activities that we need to be able to do every day in order to live independently.  Examples are: eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, and walking (transferring).

While teaching our classes, the more we can make the connection between what they are doing in class and how it relates to what they are doing at home, the more likely your participants will stay motivated to come.  We all want to be able to stay independent!

Here are some examples of moves and how to cue them for ADL's (Some examples are taken from the SS manual):

1.  Attach tubing with handles through hole in top of chair.  Have participants sit back to prevent tipping chair and bring both sides of tubes over R shoulder.  Hold one side of tube at the top with R hand to prevent tube from going across the neck and with the other hand bring tube across body like "Putting on a Seat Belt".

2.  Modified Rotator Cuff: Lift and Pour (A gallon of milk weighs 8lbs.)

3. Trunk Rotation (Always cue to "Sit up Straight" or "Lengthen Spine" before rotating)  Look in the backseat or Look before changing lanes.

4. Diagonal Arm Raises:  Reaching for an object

5.  Ball squeeze and rotate:  Opening a jar

6.  Thumb circles and finger slides: Buttons, zippers, shoelaces

7.  Concentric Biceps Curls:  Lifting groceries

8.  Eccentric Biceps Curls (up 1 down 3): Lowering a grandchild

9.  Out, out, in, in:  Stepping in/out of bathtub

10. Overhead reach:  Reaching a high shelf

I have seen some really creative instructors add moves for shopping trips, going bowling, getting into cars, etc. in their classes.  Let's have fun and help them stay motivated to keep working!