Weightbearing

Side-Sitting/Side-Lying

Purpose:

To develop muscles of the body, back, and hips along with strengthening the muscles of the arm and allowing the child to accept body weight to one side. 

Directions:

Sit comfortably on the floor with your legs crossed or straight and support your back against the couch. Seat the child on the floor in front of you. Bend both of the child’s knees and turn both legs to the same side (one leg should rest on top of the other leg). Have the child lean on the arm that is on the same side as the bottom leg. Help the child place a hand flat on the floor with the elbow straight. Use one of your hands to support the child’s arm and keep it straight. Use your other hand to support the child’s hips and keep the legs bent. Make sure the child’s free arm is down and forward. After the child has played for a while on one side, have the child side-sit to the other side. 

Encourage:   

• Head upright, chin tucked 

• Hips and knees bent, legs together and turned to one side 

• One arm straight, supporting the body, and the other arm down and forward  

Make it fun! Help the child put a puzzle together or build a block tower and knock it down. Put a book on the floor and read a story together (let the child turn the pages). Play with toy cars, put toy people inside, or roll cars over blocks or the child’s hand.

Elbows

Purpose:

To strengthen the muscles that help the arms support the body weight in transfers and walking with a walker, crutches, or cane. 

Directions:

Have the child lie on the floor, supporting the body on the forearms. Present a puzzle piece so that the child must lift one arm to reach and take it. After the child places the piece in the puzzle, present another piece. Present the pieces directly in front and to either side so that the child must shift the weight to the other arm for support in order to reach. Repeat, having the child reach with the other hand as well.

Important:   

• Do not allow the child to sink down at the supporting shoulder when reaching. Support the child at that shoulder and present more objects in front than to either side to prevent this.  

Make it fun! Also try using rings to place on a ring stacker or colored plastic clothespins to place on, or in, a plastic bowl.