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Stage II: Increasing Physical Activity
Ernest H. Rosenbaum, MD, Francine Manuel, RPT, Isadora R. Rosenbaum, MA, Arthur F. Cerf, MD, and Jack LaLanne
Demonstrations by Jack LaLanne
Neck
Shoulders and Chest 		Walking Muscles
Arms And Legs

You are ready for Stage II when you can spend part of the day out of bed sitting in a chair and when you can do ten to twenty Stage I exercises with ease. Since some Stage II exercises use a three-pound weight for added resistance to strengthen your muscles, you should also feel you can take this added weight.

As in Stage I, try to exercise twice a day. Start with three to five repetitions of each exercise and work up to ten to twenty repetitions.

Some of these exercises are done lying on your back in bed and require you to bring your arms back over your head. You may want to move down a little toward the end of the bed to give yourself more room behind your head. If you are in a hospital bed, raising the head of the bed about one-third of the way up will give you room to bring your arms back over your head without having to move down in the bed.

Remember, if your muscles become tired or painful, Stop and Rest. Omit exercises that seem too difficult or do them without weights. Repeat only one or two of a series if you are tired.

Exercise safely. Attach equipment securely. Have someone to assist you if possible.

Breathing becomes even more important when you are lifting weights of any kind because the amount of pressure you put on your heart is increased if you hold your breath. Be sure to breathe in or blow out rhythmically throughout all these exercises.

Begin each exercise session with a deep breathing exercise. Deep breathing is also a good way to rest between other exercises.

Neck
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The following exercises strengthen your neck muscles. If you have head and neck disease, either omit the following exercises or check them with your physician before attempting them.

Chin Tucks I
1. Lying on your back, place your hands behind your head, elbows bent and out to the sides.
2. Holding your hands behind your head, bring your chin up to your chest.
3. Push your head back against your hands.
4. Lower your head back down to the bed still, pushing against your head with your hands.
hands behind the head elbows bent bring chin up to chest with hands behind the head
 
Chin Tucks II
1. Lying on your back, place your forehead with elbows bent and out to the sides.
2. Bring your chin to your chest, pushing against your head with your hands.
3. Relax and lower your head back down to the bed.
hands on forehead elbows bent to the side bring chin to chest pushing your head against your hands
 
Side Neck Bends
1. Lying on your back, bend your right elbow and put your right hand on the side of your head.
2. Bend your head to the left.
3. Bend your head to the right while pushing against your head with your right hand.
4. Repeat with left hand.
hand pushing against the head push head to the side with left hand

Shoulders and Chest
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The following exercises strengthen the muscles of your shoulders and chest.

Straight-Arm Cane Lift
This exercise uses the A 3-pound (1kg) ankle weight to strengthen the shoulders, expand the rib cage and exercise the chest muscles. Lifting your arms over your head greatly expands your rib cage, giving you and excellent opportunity to breathe deeply as you raise your arms.
1. Loop the three-pound weight around the middle of a cane or broom handle.
2. Lying on your back, take the cane in both hands.
3. Keeping your elbows straight, lift the cane up as far back over your head as possible.
4. Keeping your elbows straight, lower the cane slowly to the original position.
lifting with weights in center of cane lifting over head with weights in center of cane
 
Straight-Arm Cane Twist
This exercise uses the three-pound weight to strengthen the shoulder muscles.
1. Loop the three-pound weight around the middle of a cane or broom handle.
2. Lying on your back, take cane in both hands.
3. Keeping your elbows straight, hold the cane up over your head.
4. Twist the cane slowly to the left, then slowly to the right.
holding cane with weights attached straight over body twisting cane with weights attached
 
Side Arm Stretch
This exercise uses the exercise stretcher to strengthen your chest muscles.
1. Sitting up or lying down, take the ends of the exercise stretcher in your hands.
2. Stretch your arms out to the sides, pulling against the exercise stretcher.
holding the exercise stretcher between hands over chest pulling the exercise stretcher between hands over chest
 
Overhead Arm Stretch
This exercise uses the exercise stretcher to strengthen your shoulder muscles.
1. Sitting up or lying down, take the ends of the exercise stretcher in your hands.
2. Hold your arms over your head and stretch sideways.
arms overhead stretching sideways with stretcher

Stop and Rest before proceeding. Take ten to twenty deep breaths. If you are not too tired, start the next group of exercises.

Walking Muscles
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The following exercises strengthen your walking muscles.

Straight Leg Lifts
This exercise strengthens your knees and thighs.
1. Strap the three-pound weight around your right ankle.
2. Lying on your back, and keeping your knee straight, lift your right leg straight up as far as you can.
3. Keeping your knee straight, slowly lower your leg to the bed.
4. Repeat with your left leg.
three pound weight around ankle three pound weight around ankle raising the leg
 
Backward Leg Lifts
This exercise strengthens your buttocks.
1. Strap the three-pound weight around your right ankle.
2. Lie on your stomach, with your abdomen on the bed and your feet touching the floor.
3. Keeping your right knee straight, lift your right leg up off the bed backward.
4. Repeat with the weight on your left ankle.
leaning on bed with 3 pound weight attached to one ankle leaning on bed with 3 pound weight attached to one ankle raising the leg
 
Sideways Leg Lifts
This exercise strengthens your thighs.
1. Strap the three-pound weight around your left ankle.
2. Lying on your right side, put your right arm under your head and brace yourself against the bed with your left arm in front of your chest.
3. Keeping your knee straight, lift your left leg up.
4. Keeping your knee straight, lower your leg slowly to the bed.
5. Repeat on your other side.
lying straight on bed with weight attached to ankle raising the leg while lying on bed with weight attached to ankle

Arms And Legs
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The following exercises strengthen your arms and legs
Elbow Bends
This exercise uses the exercise stretcher to strengthen your arms and back.
1. Sitting on your bed, place the loops of the exercise stretcher around the bottom of your feet and hold the middle in your hands.
2. Sit up with your legs straight out and your arms straight out in front of you.
3. Bend your elbows, bringing your arms to your chest.
4. Extend your arms back down to their original position.
exercise stretcher around feet pulled back by the hands exercise stretcher around feet pulled back by the hands arms brought up to chest
 
Upward Arm Stretch
This exercise uses the exercise stretcher to strengthen your upper arms.
1. Lie on your back with the exercise stretcher underneath your back.
2. Hold the ends of the stretcher in your hands and extend your arms straight up.
exercise stretcher behind the back hands holding the ends extend straight up
 
Trapeze Arm Stretch
This exercise uses your bed trapeze to strengthen your upper arms.
1. Loop the exercise stretcher over the trapeze.
2. Sitting up, take the ends of the exercise stretcher in your hands and pull down as far as you can.
3. Raise your arms and repeat.
exercise stretcher looped over the bed trapeze arms pulling the stretcher down
 
Downward Arm Stretch
This exercise uses the exercise stretcher to strengthen your upper arms and back.
1. Sitting up, place the exercise stretcher around the back of your neck like a scarf.
2. Take the ends of the exercise stretcher in your hands and pull down until your arms are straight.
exercise stretcher around neck like a scarf exercise stretcher around neck like a scarf pulling down with both hands
The following exercises are done sitting on the side of the bed or in a chair. If you are not used to standing up and walking around, be sure to have someone with you to help if you get dizzy.
Elbow Bends
This exercise uses the three-pound weight to strengthen your arms.
1. Loop the three-pound weight around the middle of a cane or broom handle.
2. Sitting on a chair or on the edge of a bed, hold the cane in both hands, palms up.
3. Bend your elbows and lift the cane to your chest.
4. Lower the cane to your knees, straightening your elbows.
5. Repeat the exercise holding the cane with your palms down.
holding the weighted cane with palms up holding the weighted cane with palms up lifitng to the chest
 
Knee Lifts
This exercise uses the three-pound weight to strengthen your knees.
1. Strap the three-pound weight around your left ankle.
2. Sitting in a chair or on the edge of a bed, extend your left leg, straightening your knee and lifting your foot of the floor.
3. Repeat with the weight on your right ankle.
sitting on chair with weight around an ankle sitting on chair with weight around an ankle lifting the leg
 
Stand Up - Sit Downs
This exercise strengthens your whole set of walking muscles and your hips, knees and buttocks.
1. Sit on the edge of a chair or bed.
2. Stand up slowly.
3. Sit down slowly.
sitting in chair standing up from the chair


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First appeared August 21, 2008