Starfish Therapies

A pediatric therapy company operating in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. We provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy services in the most beneficial and convenient setting for you and your child, including our clinic, currently located in Burlingame, your home, school or daycare.

  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • FAQ
  • Our Services
    • Motor Smart Kids
    • Continuing Education
    • FREE Resources
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Corona Virus (Covid-19) Response / Move to Telehealth

Ideas for ‘Weight’-Training at Home

January 15, 2017 by Stacy Menz

scap-retraction-1
scap-retraction-2

Weight training is not usually the first thing that comes to mind for pediatric therapy but its a big part of it.  We are big believers in strength/weight training for our kiddos to help improve their function.  It helps them to more efficiently activate their muscles, improves muscle isolation, helps movement to be more efficient and cuts down on compensatory movements and strategies.  For some of the kiddos we see in the clinic based setting we are able to use the Universal Exercise Unit to help promote strengthening, however not all of our kids come to the clinic or are able to use this piece of equipment so I have had to get creative on ways to strengthen that is still fun for the kids.  Here are some of the exercises we do for strengthening:

Leg Press – To get a good leg press I like to use resistance tubing.  I have bought one that has handles already built in that work great.  I have the child lie down on the ground and wrap the tubing around a stable object at their head (a table leg can often work).  I then put their foot in the handles and I control their leg while they push out (making sure that they don’t hyper extend their knees).  Its easiest to do this one leg at a time.

Hip and Knee Flexion – To do this one, I just reverse the above exercise.  I have them lie down with their feet facing towards the table and put one foot in the handle (the band should be resting taut) and then have them pull their foot up by bending their hip and knee.  Again, make sure you control their leg to avoid and torque at the knee.

Scapular (shoulder blade) Retraction – Take the same resistance tubing as above and tie it around a door knob (make sure the door is shut). You can also hold it for them (like in the pictures).  Then have the child stand (or sit) across from it. They are going to hold one end in each hand and slowly pull back while squeezing their shoulder blades together.  Make sure they keep their elbows bent at approximately 90 degrees the whole time.  Once they have pulled back, then they are going to slowly bring their arms forward again.Their body should be staying still during all of this, and the only movement should be from the arms and shoulders.

Weighted Squats – You can use a weighted ball, heavy cans of food, a bag of flour, or anything else that your child may consider to be heavy.  Have them squat down to pick it up off the floor and then stand up and place it in your hands or on a table or other surface.  If you’re using a ball, my favorite way to get them to do more is to have them give it to me and then pretend I drop it and ask them to pick it up again.  They generally think its funny that I can’t hold onto it!

 

 

Related

Filed Under: Developmental Milestones Tagged With: exercise, gross motor development, Motor Smart Kids, physical therapy, strengthening

Search

Subscribe To Our Emails

Subscribe and receive access to our FREE products, incredible list of pdfs, websites, readings, and many other useful recommendations!

Primary Programs

  • Motor Smart Kids
    • Free Play
    • Kids Action Hour
    • Yoga for Kids of All Abilities
    • Functional Movement Screen
    • Video Running Analysis
    • Youth Sports Injury Prevention
    • Concussion Screening and Management
  • Continuing Education
    • PNF 1: Introduction to PNF
    • PNF 2: Accessing the Trunk
    • Strength Training in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
  • Resources
    • Telehealth
    • Informational Handouts
    • Useful Websites
    • Recommended Readings
    • Helpful Products
    • Blogs to Follow
    • Favorite Therapy Products at amazon.com

What Clients Are Saying

“We have been so happy with our experience with Stacy. She is a skilled therapist who is so open to all of our questions and ideas. We have worked with a number of different therapists over time, and Stacy has truly been the best therapist for our son! We have also done physical therapy intensives with different clinics across the country, and found our intensive with Starfish to be the most useful and most tailored to what our son needs (not just a cookie cutter formula). We are grateful for all of the time/effort/sweat Stacy puts in for our son!”

Recent Blog Posts

  • Occupational Therapy Round-Up
  • Should I Be Concerned?
  • Dr. Seuss Books and Activities
  • More Ideas for Catching
  • Book Inspired Activities

Disclaimers

  • Full Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • HIPAA Patient Notice
  • Accessibility Statement

Search

Patient Resources

  • New Patient Intake Forms
  • Starfish Resources
  • Our Services

Clinical Resources

  • Career Opportunties
  • Continuing Education

Contact

  (650) 638-9142
  (650) 638-9141
  admin@starfishtherapies.com

Join Our Online Community

Location

BURLINGAME
  1541 Old Bayshore Highway
  Burlingame, CA 94010

© Copyright 2023 Starfish Therapies · All Rights Reserved · Powered by babaLucas

 

Loading Comments...