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. 2009 Nov 12;61(4):210–220. doi: 10.3138/physio.61.4.210
Component Equipment Procedure
Warm-up chairs, music 5 minutes: Marching on the spot in standing or sitting; L/E stretching—hamstrings, Achilles, sitting hip rotator stretch; neck and trunk stretching—flexion, extension, rotation, rhomboid stretch; U/E stretching—shoulder flexion, rotation, elbow/wrist/finger extension
Cardio class pre-measured walking circuit, stair component for participants able to tolerate greater levels of difficulty 40 minutes: Measured indoor walking circuit, with signage indicating landmark distances as possible (i.e., 10 m, 50 m, etc). Circuit includes a stair component for participants able to tolerate higher levels of participation. Other cardiovascular equipment may be available in the exercise room.
Clients log the distance walked, number of flights of stairs climbed, and time spent on any cardio equipment. The physiotherapist, volunteers, and willing care partners provide assistance/supervision as necessary.
Balance and strength class chairs, stools of varied heights, tape or chalk lines on the floor, Theraband, tape player, music 40 minutes: Class modified from an existing program.35 Can be run as a class or a circuit with five stations, 7–8 minutes for each section or per station.
  1. Slow movements: challenging base of support, holding on to back of chair if required (e.g., lunges with arms reaching, weight-shifting in different directions, single-leg balancing)

  2. Agility: holding the back of a chair if required and/or with supervision of facilitator, volunteer, or care partner if necessary; quick steps forward, backward and lateral, stepping up on a stool and over or back down again, moving feet around a pattern

  3. Functional Strengthening L/E: repetitive rise from a low chair, adding stools of varying heights to increase difficulty, rise up on toes, back on heels or walk on heels, step up on a stool front and side, progress stool height and number of repetitions

  4. Functional Strengthening and Dexterity U/E (in sitting): elbow flexion/extension, using Theraband when appropriate; shoulder flexion/extension/abduction/adduction/rotation, using Theraband when appropriate; wrist, dexterity—thumb to each finger tip as rapidly as possible, unilateral and bilateral, finger nose, air writing with finger, hand, arm, figure 8 on flip chart, hand writing, hand, wrist, and elbow stretching

  5. High-level balance skills: tandem walking, varied length of steps, braiding, stepping over obstacles, walking

Cool-down Equipment and procedures as per warm-up above.

Each session consisted of both warm-up and cool-down, and either a cardiovascular class or a balance/strengthening class.