Lower Back Exercises

Those with lower back issues either wanting to relieve pain or strengthen their backs need to try this exercise. The spine is very flexible and can be worked on and mended by simple and proper exercises. Doing his exercise on the floor is best, however if you cannot get down to the floor and need to do it while in bed, great too. Do it as I said in the morning and then again in the evening. Two times a daily. What is so bad when paid can be relieved and problems can be corrected so simply. Give it a try.

Frozen Shoulder Long Combinations

Remember that when working on exercises for Frozen Shoulder you must not be in any pain. So if you are, pull back, stop and lower the arm, do less reps, or just stop for the day and continue the next day. You do not gain anything by working in the pain. No pain is gain! If your arms are too high in an exercise, lower them, we are working on the shoulder area not the height of the arms. The movements must be slow, smooth with resistance for these exercises to work. Fast is not the answer, so if you are in a hurry don't begin the series. Take your time and only do four reps on each side, no more. Don't push. We are so used to pushing ourselves to the limit that we end up harming our bodies even more. Listen to your body, it speaks to us and tells us when it has had enough. Don't push, don't work through the pain and please don't go at break speed. Machines break down and so does your body, learn to take care of it and go with the slowness of the movements. Also try to put on some wonderful music while you do these exercises. Music helps to move better, relax you and get your mind off the moment. So use it, many studies have been done with music and how it helps the body heal as well as exercise so the two together are unbeatable. Let me know how you do by emailing me at info@lebedmethod.com.

Thanks,
Sherry Lebed Davis

Upper Body Strengthening Exercises

Range of motion exercises can be very boring to do but not these from Healthy-Steps. Watch them and then do them. They not only work on Range of Motion but wirj on Balance, gait, strength, coordination, timing and are very easy and fun to do. Make sure you put on some good music you enjoy that is very important. Also, no pain is gain in these exercises. If you feel any pain, go to the height of the movement before the pain and that is it for awhile, no higher. Stay there, the more you do the exercises the higher it will eventually go without pain, but take it slow. Don't rush progress, not in this. People think you have to push through the pain, push through the burn, NO don't do that or you will make your condition and problem worse. Take it slow, smooth with resistive movements and no PAIN. Practice with me and watch your progress increase. For more information about movement visit my YouTube at www.youtube.com/lebedmethod and www.gohealthysteps.com

Knee Strengthening Exercise Series Part 4 of 4

This is the last of our part 4 series of knee exercising. Remember to always go to number 1 then end with 4. You need those other exercises first to warm up to #4 and to build the proper muscles to strengthen the knee. Don't skip,don't cheat as you are only cheating yourself in the end. This is a lifelong commitment for you to do.The knee always get the brunt of work as you are standing, bending and using it all the time, so be good to it and do all the exercises at least every other day. Just not until you feel better, but so you stay better. Good luck and let me know how you do. Sherry Lebed Davis, info@lebedmethod.com/ www.gohealthysteps.com

Range of Motion Exercise - Seated or Standing

Range of Motion exercises become very important when we get older and we begin to loose the ability to reach into high places and stretch up over head. This happens as we age because our muscles shorten and even though we may exercise, we do not do the proper exercise to increase and lengthen our muscles that are needed to increase our ROM. Therefore many of us suffer with Frozen Shoulder. Also as adults we become inhibited by our society and move and think a certain way. This particular exercise is so good in so many different areas. Try it let me know what you think? info@lebedmethod.com and click the contact button.

Knee Strengthening Exercise Series Part 3

Hi

When you do these exercises remember to begin with the other exercises from part 1 and 2 first. When trying to strengthen your knees you must begin slowly to build other areas around the knees. Do not just start with this section and skip the other sections. You may do more harm than good. Slow is good skipping steps is not good, not for knees that need work and strength. Repeat all these sections everyday and remember to do them slowly and smoothly with resistance. Fast is not good and working through the pain is not good. If you experience pain, stop do it again the next day. You will not accomplish any thing by working through the pain except making your condition worse. Drink lots of fluid and remember Rome was not built in a day and neither were your knees. You can contact me by going to www.gohealthysteps.com and click the contact button there. Enjoy.

Knee Strengthening Exercise Series Part 2

Hello,

Those of you with any knee pain know how important it is to have well working and strong knees. I have been asked by so many people to help by giving exercises to build strong knees before their problems get worse. You must remember that the knee is supported by muscles surrounding it. For example the hamstring ( the back of the leg) the thigh (above the knee) the buttock, and the calf. So when doing these exercises we must build strength in these areas as well. Please don't think because you run, walk and may do other exercises you don't need this. WRONG! This is dedicated to the knee alone, and yes you need it. This concentrates on this area to build up the strength we need to support our body and build up the area around the knee joint.

Those of us who may garden, bend a lot, stand a lot or just wear and tear as we age, need these exercises as a daily course of life. I would love to hear from you after you have completed the series as to how you are doing and feeling. They work, if you work at them. Keep doing the exercises and let me know if you have any questions. Info@lebedmethod.com

Sincerely,
Sherry Lebed Davis
Healthy-Steps

Knee Strengthening Exercise Series Part 1

When working to build strong knees you must also build your thighs, hamstring, calf muscles and behind. These exercises will help do all of the above and should be done at lease 3-5 times a week. Do them slow smooth with resistance and no more repetitions than I tell you on the video. We will be working up to doing work directly with our knees but first you must make the other areas strong. This is only one of four sessions and don't cheat, always start with this one first, then move on to the others when I post them. Make sure you speak to your doctor or therapist before doing any exercise program and drink lots of water and keep hydrated. Any questions email me at info@lebedmethod.com

Short Term Memory Exercises

Short Term memory can be helped by certain exercises for the mind. Concentration during your exercising with your body and mind has been proven through Medical Studies to increase short term memory. We use this technique in our Healthy-Steps program in every class. It has helped every age level and especially our senior groups from over 55 or in the 90's. It is fun, easy to do and with practice you can complete these exercises with skill. Make sure there is some great music on while doing this exercise, as the beat and timing of your music plays a major role in the process.

Brain Memory Exercises

SENIORS AND EXERCISE!

I now teach in an Assisted Living Center and see how important it is for Seniors to get the ‘proper’ exercise.  Not just throw them into anything and say okay.  This is not the way to do it. They need slow, smooth and resistive exercises to build their flexibility, strength, coordination, timing, balance and gait. 

According the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC 2009) by 2030 the portion of the US population aged 65 and older will double to about 71 million.  The growing number of older Americans will put unique demands on public health, ageing services and the nation's health care system.  The CDC suggests that chronic disease, such as, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes, place a profound health and economic burden on older adults, owing to associated long term illness, diminished quality of life and greater healthcare costs. Healthy-Steps program is one that all Seniors can do with no harm and only wonderful results to increase your quality of life, range of motion, flexibility, balance, coordination and more.

Just a short time ago one of our instructors who is a PhD published a study for our program with Seniors showing it helped prevent falls, improved balance and gait.  Other studies we have show it improves quality of life, decreases depression and increases energy.  All these things seniors need and want.

Just don’t put your Senior partner, mother, father, aunt, uncle, friend into any program.  Investigate it first.  It needs to be able to done sitting or standing.  Half time so they don’t get injured.  Have timing and coordination and brain exercises in the program.  Be fun and easy, great music and laughter, definitely required.

I have seen such a wonderful and great improvement in the Seniors I am teaching.  Their attitude alone is worth a million.  But their flexibility, coordination, brain, strength, breathing has improved so much, they can see the difference in themselves and don’t want to miss a class.

I have seen other Assisted Living Centers who have exercise programs that are all wrong for Seniors just because they are popular or someone in the center is there and handy to teach them.  Be careful, they need specialized exercise programs to get stronger, smarter, and live longer. 

  Sincerely,

Sherry Lebed Davis

Exercises for Frozen Shoulder & Upper-Body Strengthening Part II

Resistance Work For Strengthening Frozen Shoulder

A Healthy Snack from Healthy-Steps

I can prepare these Raw cacao treats in a nano second, perfect for when friends drop by or I am off to a potluck with no prep time available. INGREDIENTS: A handful of dates, A handful of raw walnuts, pecans or any other nuts. 1 T. raw cacao 1 T. raw agave nectar shredded coconut For a good squidgy consistency I recommend an overall blend of 60% dates to 40% walnuts. 1. Blend the agave nectar with the pitted dates in a blender until they form a smooth paste. Add 1 T. of orange juice if the mixture is too dry to help the blending process. 2. Use a coffee grinder or a good blender to grind the walnuts. 3. Add the walnuts and some cacao to the agave-date mixture and blend for another 30 seconds. 4. Tip the crumbly mixture and the raw cacao into a bowl, large enough that you can get your hands in, and squeeze the mixture into balls. 5. Roll in coconut. That's it, you're done!

For added sophistication if you have a little extra time, add some finely grated orange zest and a drift of cinnamon powder. Ideal companion for travelers as those do not need refrigeration and a great energy boost. Contrary to popular opinion, cacao is a poor source of caffeine. A typical sample of cacao nibs or cacao beans will yield anywhere from zero caffeine to 1,000 parts per million of caffeine (less than 1/20th of the caffeine present in coffee). Cacao contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world. These antioxidants include polyphones, catechism, and epicatechins. By weight, Cacao has more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates, and goji berries COMBINED. Enjoy! Elena Gaynes, CLM and Healthy-Steps Creative Director

Exercising for overweight children, continued

 

Picking up where we left off in my last blog, your child is sitting on a chair with the small beach ball in their hands working with you with great music playing.  The secret is to have them keep repeating those exercises over and over again and not change them for a long time.  Getting used to the same exercises builds confidence and helps them to be consistent in their work and mental attitude.

Let’s just add one more exercise to the group they are already doing and still sitting on their chair.  I want to remind you to let them stop and rest when fatigued, get water and stop if needed.  Don’t push them beyond what they can do and encourage them to do a little more each time.

Along with the High Marching steps I want them to now add resistance to that by pressing the ball against the leg that lifts to march.  By pressing the ball down onto the leg that is lifting while the leg is marching, they are adding resistance.  This makes it harder, makes the muscles work more and builds their bodies faster and stronger. Do this 8 to 16 times depending on how many they can do.  Remember keep the music going and going!!!

Sincerely,

Sherry Lebed Davis

info@lebedmethod.com /just click the contact button to reach me for questions or for the ball.

Children are our link to the future

 

Having said this and knowing that Child Obesity is a major problem for us in the United States, we now know we need to get our children to exercise!  And not just once in awhile but everyday.  How to do this and still have fun?  This is what this blog is about and if you have a child that is over weight and hates to get outside and exercise you should read this and do this with your child.  Maybe you need the exercise as well?

In my last blog we have our child sitting on a chair and doing some exercises, do not forget the music!!  Let them pick out their favorite music and play it as loud as they want and keep it going. This helps them enjoy the exercising even more.

We have the ball and if you are going to be there with them sit in a chair across from them and toss the ball back and forth between the two of you. (gently) Great for coordination and timing and if they miss it, let them take their time get off the chair, and go get it. Great exercise for them and good ball throwing for Range of Motion.  Then toss the ball up in the air to yourselves and then back and forth again until tired.  Great exercise, fun, and you can do this together and it does not take much time at all.

Do not use regular balls but a small beach ball as it will seem like more play than exercise. If you need one, just write to us at Healthy-Steps, 14418 47th Place West, Lynnwood, WA 98087 and we will send you one for FREE or two if you need it. BUT start today!!!

Also how about sleep is your child getting enough sleep?

The link between poor sleep and weight gain!

Lack of sleep, or a poor quality of sleep, is directly linked to an increase of body’s production of a hunger hormone called Ghrelin. Ghrelin not only makes you overeat, but it also makes you gain weight by lowering the amount of calories you burn. The only way to reduce Ghrelin by some sound and deep sleep. Once rested, your appetite will normalize and this will help you stay fit and slim.

Yours in Healthy Stepping,

Sherry Lebed Davis

www.gohealthysteps.com

info@lebedmethod.com

Children and exercise

Today we have so much to watch for in our children with the obesity and non activity with all the computer games, it has become a national problem.  What to do and how to solve this?

We have come up with some great exercises for your children to do who are overweight or those who sit at the computer all day.

The first thing you must do is play music while they exercise this is very important that they enjoy their moments of exercise and get to smile.  For those children who are overweight start them out sitting in a chair and get a small beach ball as a ‘prop’ to use. 

• Let’s start out with some simple marching steps, it does not matter how high their feet come off the floor this is about their success not your goals for them.  Have them place the ball on their thigh of the leg that is marching, adding resistance to the march step making it a little more difficult, but fun with the ball. Do 8 on each leg alternating legs to begin with.
• Next take one leg, slide it out straight ahead, and begin to lift it off the ground, only as high as they can, even if it is a couple of inches, so what, it is about them, not you, then back down again.  Use the ball to touch front towards the leg, holding it there for a count of 4.  Then do the other leg, alternating it 8 times.
• Then have them throw the ball up in the air, still while sitting and playing their favorite music, catching it at least 16 times, be there for them to get the ball if they miss it in the beginning, then after awhile let them get off the chair and get the ball.
• Finally, buy a bottle of bubbles and have them blow bubbles for at least one song. ( 3-4 minutes) This will open their lungs and Lymphatic system which is their immune system and help build so they can begin to breath better.  This is just the beginning…….

Healthy-Steps moves to Seniors!!

 

The PACE Healthy-Steps 2008 pilot study was recently named one of the top three clinical projects at the 2009 University of Missouri-Columbia Health Sciences Research Day. The Healthy-Steps pilot study won second place, earning a certificate and a cash prize. Jean Krampe, RN and Laura Dowell, PT conducted the pilot to learn if dance-based therapy could affect the balance and gait of PACE Participants.
Study results showed that dance therapy could improve function. In addition, 100% of study participants said they would recommend this program to others. As a result, an Alexian Brothers Ministry Grant was given to Jean and Laura to make Healthy-Steps sessions available to all PACE Participants. Healthy-Steps sessions are held weekly. 

To find out more, or to be involved contact Laura Dowell, PT, or Jean Krampe, RN at (314) 771-5800

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By Sharon Mulcahy

Instructor for Healthy-Steps

A 70 year old woman joined my class. She was very quiet and apprehensive upon entering the room. She filled out the medical form and I learned that she had a Lumpectomy and had recently completed Chemotherapy. She was welcomed by all and we began the exercises. As time progressed she becomes more at ease and I could see a smile beginning to form on her face.

During the second part of the class, she really seemed to come alive as we did our dance routines. At the end of the class, we joined hands and made our circle. I always ask the ladies, if they wish, to share with the group what the class has meant to them this session.

When it was her turn, she started to cry.  She shared with the group that she and her husband were Ballroom dance teachers for the past 20 years.  When she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer she felt her life was over...that she would never dance again.  After her surgery and treatments, she went into depression and cut herself off from family and friends (Sherry, all I could think of was your Mom).   One of the nurses at the Cancer Center where I hold my classes told her about the Healthy-Steps program and told her to give it a try.  She said her initial reaction was a negative one.

The morning of the class she woke up and on impulse thought she would just 'check it out'. She shared with us that being able to dance once more, laugh and enjoy the 'togetherness' of the group had given her new hope. She said she felt she had her life back. She told all of us that she felt a miracle had happened to her in coming to the class. We all shed tears of joy with her. She comes every week and she truly is like 'a new person'. Sherry, thank you for giving me the necessary skills through the Lebed Method, to make this happen in the lives of those who have been changed because of Cancer.

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Article by Meg Hagerty

mhagerty@poststar.com

Posted: Monday, November 9,2009 2:00 am

Grooving to the disco beat of "We Are Family," the enthusiastic group of about 16 "sisters" boogied away their health concerns during the weekly "Healthy Steps" program at Glens Falls Hospital.

Still, that was nothing compared to their award-winning performance of Steppenwolfs "Born to Be Wild," in which they wielded white craft-foam "guitars" with black plastic necks, or "You Send Me,"which earned them an honorable mention. The class of mostly cancer survivors recently earned national fame for dance and music videos entered into a contest sponsored by the National Healthy Steps program.

Vickie Yattaw, coordinator of the Glens Falls Hospital Healthy Steps program and a nurse in Oncology

Education and Support Services, chose to choreograph moves to "Born to be Wild" because it's a song she uses during her own workouts.

"Having that song sort of says something to me, so I started fooling around with some movements. It's

whatever moves me," Yattaw said.

Although Yattaw hadn't seen other Healthy Steps entries, she thinks it was the fun props and the way the moves were put into a routine that clinched the win for the group.

Yattaw and co-instructor Laurie Hughes regularly put together gentle stretching movements in a free

weekly class, based on the Lebed Method, that increase range of motion and simulate massage and exercise to help reduce the incidence of lymphedema, or swelling, in women after surgery or in treatment for cancer.

The class has proved beneficial for people who have other issues, too.

"It helps more than just cancer patients. Anybody who wants to get back into exercise, strengthening,

balance - that doesn't want to do the whole strenuous gym workouts, it's just a fun stretching exercise

program," Yattaw said.

Jean Baulsir, 78, learned about the program through the Wellness Center at the hospital. She is a 38-year breast cancer survivor and 3-year uterine cancer survivor and gains relief for her arthritis and fibromyalgia through "Healthy Steps."

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"It absolutely eases up on the pain. My pain level when I came in was about an eight (on a scale of one to 10), and now I'm down to about a four," Baulsir said.

She has been taking the class for 18 months and finds that not only does she benefit from the stretching she learns about hospital cancer program updates from Yattaw.

The Healthy-Steps program was started at the hospital five years ago thanks to oncology unit nurse Pat Spencer Cizek, who learned about the national program and introduced it to Glens Falls. Cizek has since moved to a different position in the hospital and Yattaw took over a year and a half ago.

Though the class promotes exercise and wellness, friendships have been forged along the way. The women don't focus on their illness during the hour as ifs a time to laugh and stretch.

"Each week after class, they get their coffee and they sit for like a half an hour. The camaraderie is one of the biggest things we like to promote in this class," Yattaw said.

Cheryl Patnode, who has later-stage breast cancer, strutted, shimmied and giggled during a recent class. Having undergone repeated surgeries to remove the lymph nodes under her arm, she now wears a compression sleeve on her left arm for her lymphedema.

She said the movements of the class, combined with the compression sleeve help the lymphatic fluid to drain. For her, the Healthy-Steps class is a lifeline, especially now that she is having recurring health problems.

"It's a lifelong commitment, fighting for your health, and this class does it not only physically but

mentally, " Patnode said.

Hope to hear from you,

Yours in Healthy

Sincerely,

Sherry Lebed Davis