Laura Abbott, MS, LMT - Exercise ETCexerciseetc.com/file/ten-essential-exercises.pdf · Laura Abbott, MS, LMT • Master’s Degree, Sports Medicine • Licensed Massage Therapist

Webinar on Demand 2017

(C) 2012, 2016 by Exercise ETC. All rights

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10 Essential Exercises

for Seniors

Laura Abbott, MS, LMT • Master’s Degree, Sports

Medicine

• Licensed Massage Therapist

• Undergraduate degree in Exercise Science

• Instructor of Kinesiology, Georgia State University

• ACE Certified Personal Trainer

• Guest speaker at Atlanta area massage schools and at the Georgia State University Physical Therapy department.

• Owner of Premier Performance, Atlanta, GA

How to Get Your CE Certificates

• View the complete webinar • Make sure your printer is “on” • Log on to our website: www.exerciseetc.com • Click on “Administration” • Click on “Webinar on Demand Certificates” • Complete all required fields & click “submit” • Your CE certificate will appear on the screen; you

may either save or print your certificate; even if you do not have a working printer, make sure to complete this form

• Remember: The WebEx program records when you log on and off; logging off early or fast forwarding to the end of the meeting may result in denial of your CEs.

http://www.exerciseetc.com/



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Learning Objectives (5)

• After viewing this webinar you will be able

to:

– Define Functional Training

– Identify the characteristics of functional

training

– Explain how to integrate function exercises

into your programs

– Describe how to build a strong foundation to

functional training for your clients

– List common compensations that can occur

What is “Functional” Training?

• Selecting exercises that

improve the foundation for

movement and ADLs

• NOT necessarily selecting

exercises that exactly

mimic activities of daily

living

The Characteristics of a

“Functional” Exercise

• Standing unsupported

• Maximizes joint mobility

• Requires active stabilization

• Integrates joint actions

• Emphasizes strength, power

and dynamic balance

• Focuses on both acceleration

and deceleration



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Successfully Integrating Functional

Exercises into Your Programs

1. Instruct proper form &

technique to build a solid

foundation

2. Eliminate common

compensations that will

interfere with safe

progression

3. Add higher level challenges

to increase strength as client

adapts

Building a Strong Foundation

• Determine the client’s

baseline for each exercise

• Focus on teaching and

cueing

• Work proximal stability first

• Move to distal joint mobility

• Initiate basic movement

patterns

• Add progressive resistance

Understanding Compensations

– Do some structures need to be stretched

or released?

• Joints, Ligaments, Facia, Muscle

– Do some structures need to be

strengthened?

• Stabilizer muscles or prime movers

– Is there poor proprioception or movement

awareness?



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Functional Progressions

• Observe your client

doing these essential

movements and find

ways to improve their

performance on each

of them

• If baseline

performance is good,

progress to a more

challenging movement

pattern & add external

resistance

Our List of the Top 10 “Best” …

1. Planks

2. Bridges

3. Rotations

4. Pushes

5. Pulls

6. Squats

7. Lunges

8. Step-ups

9. Deadlifts

10. Half Get-ups

#1: The Prone & Oblique Plank

• Abduct Scapulae

• Tighten ALL Anterior

Muscles, including

Quads

• Tighten Glutes

• Neutral from Ear to

Heel



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Basic Plank Progressions

• Incline Position

• Push-Up Position

• Feet Wide, Elbows Narrow

• Neutral

• One Leg Up

• Opposite Arm/Leg Up

• Full Extension

Compensations: The Plank

Compensation Reason

Hips above shoulders Poor core strength

Torso sagging Poor core strength

Unable to hold position Arms may be too far forward

– shoulders overextended

Poor core endurance

Pain in neck or shoulders Poor shoulder girdle strength

and endurance

The Oblique Plank

• Progressions:

– Kneeling

– Legs Staggered

– Feet Together

– Top Leg Abducted

• Tips

– Retract and depress

scapula



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Progressions: Oblique Plank • Elbow and Knee

supported

– Ability to move in and

out of correct

alignment

Progression

• Full Arm Extension

• Unstable surface

Regression

• Drop onto lower

knee

Functional Variations

• Stability Ball | TRX

Variations

#2: The Supine Bridge

• Feet hip-to-shoulder-

width apart

• Engage Glutes

• Lift hips to neutral line

b/w knee and shoulder

• Knees should be ~90

degrees

• Weight in heels



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Compensations: The Bridge

Compensation Reason

Unable to hold position Poor gluteal endurance

Unable to lift hips high

enough to achieve straight

torso

Poor gluteal strength

Tight hip flexors

Unable to hold knees

together if cued

Poor adductor strength

and/or endurance

Knee pain Poor gluteal strength; unable

to use glutes to lift hips,

overusing quads

Progressing The Bridge

• Butt Squeeze

• Single Leg

– Alternating

• Swiss Ball

#3: Trunk Rotation

• Controversy over the

safety of spinal rotation

has lead to

recommendations that

training emphasis

should be on trunk

muscles as

decelerators and the

hips & shoulders as

accelerators during



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Compensations: Trunk Rotation

Compensation Reason

Hips move when shoulders

move

Unable to use obliques to

stabilize pelvis

Tightness in shoulder joint

and shoulder girdle

Tightness in hip flexors

Movement range different on

both sides

Tightness in spinal rotators,

obliques


• The Rip Trainer or med ball

side toss challenges

deceleration & explosiveness

#4: Pushes & Presses

• Are they different?

– A “push” is

characterized by

horizontal

displacement of the

resistance

– A “press” is

characterized by

vertical displacement

– The terms are

commonly used

interchangeably



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Basic Push-Up Progressions

Compensations: Pushes &

Presses Compensation Reason

Limited range of motion Poor upper body strength

Hips elevated above

shoulders

Poor core strength

Torso sagging Poor core strength

Wrist or hand pain Carpal tunnel issues

Shoulder pain Structural or orthopedic

problems




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Functional Progressions:

Presses • Greater demands for “core”

stabilization

• Offers versatility in cases of

shoulder impingement risk

• Performed in similar manner

to military press

• Integrate with Lower Body

Training Exercises

#5: Horizontal & Vertical Pulling

• Start with elbows extended

• Allow scapula to protract slightly to pre-stretch prime movers

• Initiate the Pull with the Lats

– Think about pulling through the elbows and squeezing the scapula together to finish

• Do not lean; maintain neutral spine throughout

• Same for Horizontal Rowing

Compensations: Pulling

Compensation Reason

Rotating the torso Poor upper body pulling

strength

Rounding the thoracic spine Poor Erector Spinae

strength; inability to stabilize

Poor Shoulder Girdle

muscles strength



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Inverted Pull-Ups Traditional Pull-Ups

#6: The Squat

• Heels Shoulder-Width

• “Sit back” flexing the hips and

knees simultaneously

• Knees stay parallel to feet

• Weight balanced between

ball of foot and front of heels

• Stop descent when femurs

are parallel to ground

• Fully extend hips and knees

returning to Neutral Standing

Compensations: Squats

Compensation Reason

Unable to perform full ROM Tight calf muscles or limited

ankle ROM

Limited knee ROM

Rounding spine Poor core or spinal erector

strength

Falling forward Poor ankle flexibility

Poor gluteal activation

Knees falling in; femur

internally rotating

Poor gluteus medius and

maximus strength



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#7: The Lunge

• Begin with Reverse

Lunge, progress to

Forward Lunge

• Work on controlling

deceleration first

• Add multidirectional

reaches to challenge core

stability and balance

The Lateral Lunge Progression

• Feet MUST remain parallel to each other

• Maintain hip, knee and foot alignment

• Outer knee can remain slightly flexed or straight in the more advanced trainee

• Greater hip ab/adductor involvement

Compensations: Lunges

Compensation Reason

Poor knee tracking Quad strength imbalances

Poor gluteal strength, esp

glute med

Knee pain Limited knee ROM

Structural problems in knee

(arthritis, meniscus,

ligaments)

Unable to stabilize and

balance

Poor core strength



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#8: The Step Up

• Begin on top of Step

and focus on stepping

down first

• Maintain hip, knee

and foot alignment

Compensations: Step Ups

Compensation Reason

Poor knee tracking Quad strength imbalances


Knee pain Limited knee ROM

Structural problems in knee

(arthritis, meniscus,

ligaments)

Unable to stabilize and

balance


Progressions: Step Ups

• Side-to-Side Stepping

• Add resistance for

definition, hypertrophy

• Run or walk up & down stairs or bleachers for time or distance

• For variation, add a backpack or other weight



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#9: The Deadlift

• Stance is 12-15 inches

• Pronated grip is outside stance ~20 inches

• Shins almost vertical; bar 2 to 3” from shins

• Hips are higher than in squat

• Scapula adducted

• Back straight

• Head/neck neutral/”packed”

Compensations: Deadlifts

Compensation Reason

Rounding spine Weak spinal erectors

Weak core muscles

Rotating pelvis Tight hamstrings on support

leg

Poor core strength

Limited ROM Poor hamstring flexibility in

support leg

#10: The “Half Get-up”

2 1 3

5

6



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How About Sit-ups for Seniors?

• Sit-ups may be the

most controversial

exercise

Compensations: Sit-ups

Compensation Reason

Feet lift off floor Weak abdominals; hip flexors

active

Need to use momentum

and/or arms to complete

ROM

Weak abdominals at specific

ranges of the motion

Pain in the lower back Arching back during lift due

to over activity of hip flexors

How to Get Your CE Certificates

• View the complete webinar • Make sure your printer is “on” • Log on to our website: www.exerciseetc.com • Click on “Administration” • Click on “Webinar on Demand Certificates” • Complete all required fields & click “submit” • Your CE certificate will appear on the screen; you

may either save or print your certificate; even if you do not have a working printer, make sure to complete this form

• Remember: The WebEx program records when you log on and off; logging off early or fast forwarding to the end of the meeting may result in denial of your CEs.

http://www.exerciseetc.com/



reserved. 16

Post-course Learning Assessment This assessment must be completed if you are certified by BOC, CSCS

or NSCA

Question 1

True or False:

Functional training involves selecting

exercises that mimic activities of daily living

exactly.

Question 2

All of the following are characteristics of a

functional exercise EXCEPT:

A. Maximizes joint mobility

B. Emphasizes strength, power, and

dynamic balance

C. Requires static stabilization

D. Focuses on acceleration and deceleration

Question 3

As the client adapts to functional exercises,

the next step the trainer should make is to:

A. Add higher level challenges

B. Instruct proper form

C. Eliminate compensations

D. Focus on deceleration only



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Question 4

True or False

To help a client build a strong foundation

with functional exercises, proximal stability

should be worked first.

Question 5

What structures often times need to be

strengthened when compensations occur

during functional exercises?

A. Ligaments

B. Prime movers

C. Fascia

D. Joints

Correct Your Work:

Answer Key

1. False

2. C

3. A

4. True

5. B

Make sure to keep this assessment with your other

recertification documents for 4 years. Questions about

any answer? Email us at: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]





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PLEASE NOTE:

• Remember to complete this

webinar and print the certificate

by December 31 of this year.

• Certificates with next year’s

date may not be accepted by

your credentialing organization.

NOTES

NOTES

Documents

Laura Abbott, MS, LMT - Exercise ETCexerciseetc.com/file/ten-essential-exercises.pdf · Laura Abbott, MS, LMT • Master’s Degree, Sports Medicine • Licensed Massage Therapist