Today’s stability ball exercise is a great next step to the back extension exercise demonstrated earlier. Back extensions over a ball are a great way to strengthen upper back; erector spinae (extensor muscles that help you stand erect), posterior rotator cuff, and shoulder blade stabilizers which all treat Parkinson’s rounded posture. By adding positive affirmations, you are increasing the intensity for muscular endurance in the extended position, plus adding uplifting cognitive multitask.
This exercise not only helps with muscular strength and endurance of the upper back, it’s a great rotator cuff exercise.
Positive Affirmation Stability Ball Extension Exercise
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- Lay over the ball with your feet against a wall but still touching the floor, knees are bent but hovering off the floor. Trick to balance is to have the feet hip-width apart against a wall.
- Hands will be on the ball with elbows bent but relaxed.
- Get floppy including the head hanging over the ball and take several deep breaths to get comfortable.
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- Inhale to prepare as you exhale, begin to roll up starting with the top of your head.
- Roll all the way up one vertebrae at a time until your back is straight, keeping your knees bent and feet on wall and toes touching the floor. Arms are bent but relaxed and not assisting in the roll up.
- Key: As you roll up, keep your head and neck in neutral as if to hold a very small ball under your chin, think of looking down your own shirt.
- Imagine putting your shoulder blades in your back pockets.
- Once you are up, slowly reach one arm straight out in front of your shoulder, thumbs pointing up, then slowly reach the other arm out. Do not use momentum to raise the arm.
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- Place hands straight out to form the letter “I” then widen both arms at an angle to form the letter “Y” then back in front to form the letter “I” again.
- As you perform the motions, add a positive affirmation to it such as; “I AM HAPPY”
“I AM STRONG” “I FEEL GREAT”
- Slowly return one arm back to starting position, then the other arm back to starting position.
- Starting with your stomach or bottom of ribcage, slowly roll back down including your head to your floppy position.
- Repeat 10 times slowly with good breath work.
If you are in a wheelchair or cannot get on a ball, do a slump and stack: Slowly roll down one vertebrae at a time, then slowly one vertebrae at a time roll back up to neutral spine, sitting up straight.
Do not force through any shoulder pain. You can modify the exercise by reducing range of motion or perform the exercise in a palm-down fashion, if that is more comfortable.